Waldo Cortes-Acosta
Pro MMA Statistics
17-3-0KO/TKO
| Win | 9 | 53% |
| Losses | 0 | 0% |
Submission
| Win | 1 | 6% |
| Losses | 0 | 0% |
Decision
| Win | 7 | 41% |
| Losses | 3 | 100% |
Career Overview
Waldo Cortes-Acosta
Waldo Cortes-Acosta, known as "Salsa Boy," is a Dominican mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division of the UFC.
Born in Fundación, Barahona Province, in the Dominican Republic, Cortes-Acosta's route into combat sports was unconventional. He initially pursued a career in professional baseball before turning to boxing and mixed martial arts in his mid-twenties. He made his professional MMA debut in 2018 and built his reputation on the regional circuit, winning an amateur title with RUF before capturing the LFA heavyweight championship with a third-round TKO of Thomas Petersen. He earned his UFC contract with a first-round TKO win on Dana White's Contender Series.
Cortes-Acosta trains out of Ultimate Kombat Training Center under coach Javier Torres, where he has developed into a well-rounded heavyweight, holding a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu to complement his striking base.
Standing 6-foot-4 with a 78-inch reach, Cortes-Acosta is a physically imposing striker who uses his length, footwork and one-punch power to control distance and end fights in dramatic fashion; a majority of his professional wins have come by knockout or TKO. That blend of size, athleticism and finishing instinct has made him one of the more dangerous heavyweights on the
Stats last updated: August 09, 2026
Professional Fight History
| Result | Opponent | Method | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
LDEC16-3
|
Alexander Volkov39-11 | Unanimous DecisionR3 · 5:00 |
2026May 9
2026May
|
|
|
WKO/TKO16-2
|
Derrick Lewis29-12 | TKO (elbows and punches)R2 · 3:15 |
2026Jan 24
2026Jan
|
|
|
WKO/TKO15-2
|
Shamil Gaziev14-1 | KO (Punch)R1 · 1:22 |
2025Nov 22
2025Nov
|
|
|
WKO/TKO14-2
|
Ante Delija26-6 | KO (Punches)R1 · 3:59 |
2025Nov 1
2025Nov
|
|
|
LDEC13-2
|
Sergei Pavlovich19-3 | Unanimous DecisionR3 · 5:00 |
2025Aug 23
2025Aug
|
|
|
WDEC13-1
|
Serghei Spivac17-5 | Unanimous DecisionR3 · 5:00 |
2025Jun 7
2025Jun
|
|
|
WKO/TKO12-1
|
Ryan Spann22-10 | KO (Punches)R2 · 4:48 |
2025Mar 15
2025Mar
|
|
|
WDEC11-1
|
Robelis Despaigne5-0 | Unanimous DecisionR3 · 5:00 |
2024May 11
2024May
|
|
|
WDEC10-1
|
Andrei Arlovski34-22 | Unanimous DecisionR3 · 5:00 |
2024Jan 13
2024Jan
|
|
|
WKO/TKO9-1
|
Łukasz Brzeski8-3-1 | KO (Punches)R1 · 3:01 |
2023Aug 26
2023Aug
|
|
|
LDEC8-1
|
Marcos Rogério de Lima20-8-1 | DecisionR3 · 5:00 |
2023Apr 29
2023Apr
|
|
|
WDEC8-0
|
Chase Sherman16-10 | Unanimous DecisionR3 · 5:00 |
2022Nov 19
2022Nov
|
|
|
WDEC7-0
|
Jared Vanderaa12-9 | Unanimous DecisionR3 · 5:00 |
2022Oct 29
2022Oct
|
|
|
WKO/TKO6-0
|
Danilo Suzart9-1 | TKO (Punches)R1 · 3:40 |
2022Aug 2
2022Aug
|
|
|
WKO/TKO5-0
|
Thomas Petersen5-0 | TKO (Punches)R3 · 4:53 |
2022Apr 15
2022Apr
|
|
|
WKO/TKO4-0
|
Derrick Weaver7-7 | TKO (Punches)R2 · 0:28 |
2022Feb 11
2022Feb
|
|
|
WDEC3-0
|
Mo DeReese9-4 | DecisionR3 · 5:00 |
2021Nov 12
2021Nov
|
|
|
WDEC2-0
|
Jordan Powell12-8 | Unanimous DecisionR3 · 5:00 |
2021Aug 29
2021Aug
|
|
|
WSUB1-0
|
Edison Lopes10-5 | KimuraR1 · 3:12 |
2021Jul 31
2021Jul
|
Waldo Cortes-Acosta RELATED NEWS
UFC 328: Chimaev vs. Strickland – Main Card, Start Time, Preview
UFC 327 was to be scheduled for two title fights, but one week before the April 11 event, UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van withdrew from the Miami fight card due to injury. That event’s loss is UFC 328’s gain as Van vs. Tatsuro Taira will now serve as the co-main event to the headlining fight between UFC middleweight champ Khamzat Chimaev and former champion Sean Strickland. Below is the preview and fight card for UFC 328: Chimaev vs. Strickland.
MVP Reveals Loaded Full Fight Card – Rousey vs. Carano Netflix MMA Event
Netflix and Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) appear to be building an incredible card for their first venture into the world of MMA.
UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett – Fight card, Date, Fight Odds
UFC’s Paramount+ era begins on Jan. 24. UFC 324 takes over Las Vegas with a headline-grabbing main event: Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett for the interim lightweight title. UFC 324 goes down from the T-Mobile Arena as the first numbered event of 2026.
UFC Saint Louis: Lewis vs. Nascimento
Check out the UFC Saint Louis Betting Guide ahead of Lewis vs. Nascimento. Learn how how to place the best bets for this event. UFC Saint Louis is headlined by Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento for a five-round heavyweight main event. The co-main event features Saint Louis’s own Joaquin Buckley, where he takes on Nursulton Ruziboev. There are no title fights on this fight night.
The UFC Returns This Weekend for UFC Vegas 84
After a four-week long hiatus spanning over Christmas and New Years, the UFC is finally back with more fights this weekend in UFC Vegas 84. The event will take place in the UFC Apex on Saturday, January 13th, with the prelims starting at 4:00pm EST. The main event will be the rematch between top Light Heavyweight Contenders Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker. This card is as star-studded as it gets at the Apex.
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