Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Ante Delija Prediction: The Underdog Waldo Cortes-Acosta to strike a better chance

Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Ante Delija: Prediction and odds on the Match on 02 November, 2025

This weekend, Fight Night is back at the UFC APEX. Before the main event, Waldo Cortes-Acosta will fight Ante Delija in the heavyweight division. Salsa Boy is 14-2-0 as a pro, and Walking Trouble is 26-6-0. Who will win this encounter? Here at Telecom Asia, we take a look at the match’s preview and offer free betting opportunities.

Waldo Cortes-Acosta's recent form

Waldo Cortes-Acosta boasts a professional record of 14 wins and one loss. He is coming from five consecutive wins in his last five fights. He has a foundation in boxing. He was born in the Fundación, Barahona, Dominican Republic, and his fighting out of Phoenix, Arizona, United States. His last fight was on June 07, 2025, in UFC against Serghei Spivac, winning by unanimous decision. Before this match, he faced Ryan Spann, winning via Left Hook to Ground Punches in the second round. Across his 14 victories, six were by way of knockout, one by submission, and seven by decision. In 2021, He signed for the Bellator MMA promotion, but only had one fight there, which ended in a victory. The following year, He went to the Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) and fought twice. He took his chance at the Dana White Contender Series (DWCS) in 2022 and won. This got him signed under the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) promotion that same year. So far in the UFC, he has won seven and has lost one. In 2022, He won the LFA Vacant Heavyweight Championship against Thomas Petersen via punches knockout in the third round. Other victories Waldo Cortes-Acosta has recorded in his career were against Robelis Despaigne (via unanimous decision), Andrei Arlovski (via unanimous decision), Łukasz Brzeski (via Hook technical knockout), Chase Sherman (via unanimous decision), Jared Vanderaa (via unanimous decision), Danilo Suzart (via punches knockout in the first round), Derrick Weaver (via punches knockout in the second round), Mo DeReese (via unanimous decision), and Jordan Powell (via unanimous decision).

Waldo Cortes-Acosta`s Strength

Waldo Cortes-Acosta boxes out of an orthodox stance with okay cardio. He hits 5.61 strikes per minute at a 48% rate, which is not bad, but he can do better. He makes up for it with his power on the feet.

Ante Delija recent form

Ante Delija recent form

Ante Delija (26-6) is back for his second UFC fight after an amazing debut win over Marcin Tybura. At 35, the former PFL champion, who had an 8-3 record there, finally got his chance in the UFC and made it count. Delija, who is 6'5" tall and has a 79-inch reach, used his strength and calmness to quickly finish Tybura. He got a performance bonus and quickly moved up the rankings. He hasn't slowed down with age. He is the favourite going into this fight because he is strong, experienced, and knows how to control the cage. Delija will probably use his long jab and movement to stay away from Waldo Cortes-Acosta, just like Sergei Pavlovich did successfully against Cortes-Acosta. Delija has a nine-inch reach advantage over Cortes-Acosta. Cortes-Acosta, on the other hand, is 6'4" tall and weighs 260 pounds, which gives him a small size advantage. He has a 14-2 record and fights from an orthodox stance with a reach of 78 inches. He hits 5.61 significant strikes per minute with 48% accuracy, which is a lot of strikes and a lot of endurance. He can keep up the pace without getting tired, and he only takes 3.51 hits per minute, which shows that he has good defence.

Ante Delija Strength

Cortes-Acosta's ground game isn't his best weapon, but he still averages 0.37 takedowns every 15 minutes and stops 71% of attempts. That might help him stay on his feet because Delija doesn't often go for takedowns. In short, Delija's reach and experience will clash with Cortes-Acosta's pressure and volume, making for an exciting fight in the Octagon.

Ante Delija Strength

Cortes-Acosta's ground game isn't his best weapon, but he still averages 0.37 takedowns every 15 minutes and stops 71% of attempts. That might help him stay on his feet because Delija doesn't often go for takedowns. In short, Delija's reach and experience will clash with Cortes-Acosta's pressure and volume, making for an exciting fight in the Octagon.

Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Ante Delija Betting Insights, Tips & Odds

• Waldo Cortes-Acosta steps back into the Octagon for the first time since August last year, when he dropped a decision loss to Sergei Pavlovich — his second defeat in the UFC.
• Before that setback, “Salsa Boy” was on fire. He had won five straight fights, including knockout victories over Ryan Spann and Lukasz Brzeski, and even outlasted Serghei Spivac at UFC 316. His aggressive boxing made him one of the division’s rising threats.
• However, Cortes-Acosta has never won by submission, which could expose a weak spot in his game. He does hold a slight weight advantage heading into this bout, which may help him control the pace.
• Across the cage, Ante Delija arrives with serious momentum. After dominating in the PFL, he made a statement UFC debut by knocking out Marcin Tybura last September. Delija lands 6.34 significant strikes per minute compared to Cortes-Acosta’s 5.61, and he has six submission wins to his name — a clear edge on the ground.
• Cortes-Acosta may bring youth and power, but Delija’s experience and versatility make this matchup a true test for both fighters.

Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Ante Delija Expert Betting Tip

Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Ante Delija Expert Betting Tip

Waldo Cortes-Acosta was a +210 underdog going into his last fight with Sergei Pavlovich. Many people thought he would do well because of his sharp boxing, but things didn't go as planned. He only landed 45 strikes and had a hard time finding his range against the taller opponent. Now he's back and ready to make things right. This fight is between a hungry rising star and an MMA veteran who has been around for a while. Fans were impressed by Ante Delija's first win over Tybura, but this time he will be up against a younger, faster, and more powerful Cortes-Acosta. Cortes-Acosta will have to deal with a reach disadvantage again, but this fight feels different. He has learnt from his last loss and should be more aggressive and sure of himself this time. He could surprise a lot of people if he keeps up his pace and finds his rhythm early on. Expect Cortes-Acosta to be sharper, and maybe even an upset win.

Our First prediction is W1 to win at 2.10 odds on 1xbet

Our Second Prediction is a +3.5 Spread Waldo Cortes-Acosta with odds at 1.72 odds on bet365

Out third prediction Over 2.5 rounds at 1.83 odds on Betway