No. 6-ranked heavyweight Waldo Cortes-Acosta returns to the Octagon after just three weeks on Saturday, stepping in on short notice to take on No. 11 Shamil Gaziev at UFC Fight Night in Doha, Qatar.
Replacing No. 7 Serghei Spivac, Cortes-Acosta (15–2) is riding the momentum from a wild first-round knockout victory earlier this month. Gaziev (14–1), meanwhile, looks to push his winning streak to three.
Cortes-Acosta enters as a -142 moneyline favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Gaziev sits as a +120 underdog. The total is set at 2.5 rounds. Here’s my best bet for Saturday night’s heavyweight showdown.
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Shamil Gaziev Preview
Cortes-Acosta, 34, will enter the Octagon for the fifth time in 2025 after stepping in for Spivac on three days’ notice. The Dominican Republic native has won eight of ten fights since his UFC debut in October 2022, and heads to Qatar fresh off a wacky first-round KO on Nov. 1.
Facing Ante Delija, “Salsa Boy” suffered a brutal eye poke and nearly got TKO’ed before the referee realized what had happened. Minutes later, the fight resumed, and Cortes-Acosta flattened Delija with a devastating right hand.
A former minor league pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, Cortes-Acosta throws bullets. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound tank lands 5.53 significant strikes per minute at 48% accuracy, logging seven career knockouts with three coming in the first round. And he’s never been on the receiving end of a night-ending shot.
Gaziev, 35, hasn’t taken long to make a strong impression inside the Octagon. The Russian contender has won three of four fights since his UFC debut in December 2023, with his sole professional loss being a fourth-round TKO against Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
Also standing 6-foot-4 with a 260-pound frame, Gaziev is extremely aggressive and constantly on the hunt for a finish. He lands 2.57 significant strikes per minute, and 12 of his 14 wins have come inside the distance — including nine knockouts and three submissions.
Gaziev has been sidelined since February, with his bout with Spivac getting cancelled three times now. Still, he carries the momentum from a two-fight winning streak, punctuated by a first-round walkoff against Thomas Petersen.
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Shamil Gaziev Pick, Best Bet
Gaziev has been out of action, waiting, training, and studying for one opponent since the beginning of the year. He now has three days to study for Cortes-Acosta, who has been one of the most active fighters in the sport this year — fresh off a first-round finish from just three weeks ago.
Count on “Salsa Boy” to disrupt Gaziev’s game plan and keep his momentum rolling to close out 2025 with an impressive, short-notice victory.
