Waldo Cortes-Acosta sits at #6 after losing to Sergei Pavlovich, snapping a five-fight winning streak. Ante Delija enters at #9 after making an impressive UFC debut, knocking out veteran Marcin Tybura at UFC Paris. Now they meet November 1st in Las Vegas, and the winner climbs closer to title contention. This Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Ante Delija matchup represents a crossroads bout where momentum meets opportunity in the heavyweight division.
Cortes-Acosta stands 6’4″ with a 78 inch reach and brings a 14-2 record. He lands an impressive 5.61 significant strikes per minute at 48% accuracy while absorbing 3.51. His striking defense sits at 55%, and his takedown defense is solid at 71%.
Delija measures 6’3″ with matching 78 inch reach and owns a 26-6 record from his PFL, KSW, and Rizin experience. He lands even more volume at 6.34 strikes per minute at 46% accuracy while absorbing just 1.95. His striking defense also sits at 55%, but his wrestling statistics show zeros across the board in the UFC, at least for now.
This fight comes down to whether Cortes-Acosta’s athletic striking can overcome Delija’s superior defensive awareness. Cortes-Acosta has shown toughness with real power, but in his loss to Pavlovich he seemed hesitant and didn’t fully pull the trigger on his striking or grappling. That pattern of passive performance in big fights raises concerns about his mentality under pressure.
Delija is fast and hits hard, while also shooting real takedowns and possessing great grappling. His training camp with Tom Aspinall’s team brings elite-level preparation and sparring partners. When the fight gets ugly in the clinch or against the cage, Delija’s grappling experience should control positioning.
If we bet on this fight, we are going with Ante Delija to win via unanimous decision.
The odds show this as essentially a pick’em fight according to FanDuel. Waldo Cortes-Acosta sits at +114. Meanwhile, Ante Delija sits at -146. The near-even money reflects confidence that either heavyweight could land the fight ending shot at any moment, making this dangerous for anyone.
The odds for the fight going the distance stand at +100. The probability of the fight ending before the final bell is much higher and the odds (-128) reflect that overwhelming expectation.
Here are the best bets for Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Ante Delija:
Fair odds on the fighter with more complete skills and better training camp. His defensive awareness and grappling give him multiple paths to victory beyond just striking.
Both fighters have solid chins and defensive awareness. Expect this to survive the early feeling-out process before someone lands clean.
If neither fighter can impose their will early, this grinds to a decision where Delija’s broader skill set should earn rounds on the scorecards.
(All odds taken from FanDuel. Bet on the most up-to-date MMA odds, lines, and spreads with FanDuel Sportsbook)
(Image Credit: Per Haljestam – Imagn Images)
mma I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!
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