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UFC Heavyweight

Derrick Lewis VS Waldo Cortes-Acosta

T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.

Tale of the Tape

29-14-0, 1 NC Record 17-4-0
40 Age 34
190 cm Height 193 cm
201 cm Reach 198 cm
orthodox Stance orthodox
86% Finish rate 59%
83% KO rate 53%
3% Sub rate 6%

Result Summary

Waldo Cortes-Acosta def. Derrick Lewis KO (punches) · R2 3:14

Waldo Cortes-Acosta secured the biggest win of his career, stopping the legendary Derrick Lewis via TKO in the second round. The first round saw Lewis looking for his signature overhand right, but Cortes-Acosta used his speed and athleticism to stay on the outside and pick Lewis apart with leg kicks and jabs. In the second round, 'Salsa Boy' turned up the pressure as Lewis appeared to slow down. Cortes-Acosta swarmed with a flurry of punches against the fence, overwhelming Lewis and forcing the referee to step in at the 1:45 mark, signaling a changing of the guard in the heavyweight division.

Fight Overview

A heavyweight slugfest guaranteed to deliver fireworks. Derrick 'The Black Beast' Lewis, the UFC's knockout king, takes on the technical volume of Waldo Cortes-Acosta. Cortes-Acosta, known as 'Salsa Boy,' brings a dancing, boxing-centric style that contrasts sharply with Lewis's plodding but explosive 'one-punch' approach. The narrative is simple: Can Waldo dance for 15 minutes, or will the Beast land that one sleep-inducing shot?

Keys to Victory

Derrick Lewis

  1. Conserve energy and wait for Cortes-Acosta to overcommit to a combination
  2. Explode with the flying knee or overhand right when backed against the cage
  3. Create chaos in the clinch to land dirty boxing uppercuts

Waldo Cortes-Acosta

  1. Stick and move; use superior footwork to stay off the centerline
  2. Accumulate volume with the jab rather than loading up on power shots
  3. Attack Lewis's legs to remove his base for the power bomb

Last 5 fights

Derrick Lewis

  1. W Tallison Teixeira TKO · R1 0:35 · 12 JUL 2025
  2. W Rodrigo Nascimento TKO · R3 0:49 · 11 MAY 2024
  3. L Jailton Almeida Decision · R5 5:00 · 4 NOV 2023
  4. W Marcos Rogério de Lima TKO · R1 0:33 · 29 JUL 2023
  5. L Serghei Spivac Submission · R1 3:05 · 4 FEB 2023

Waldo Cortes-Acosta

  1. W Shamil Gaziev TKO · R1 1:22 · 21 NOV 2025
  2. W Ante Delija TKO · R1 0:41 · 1 NOV 2025
  3. L Sergei Pavlovich Decision · R3 5:00 · 23 AUG 2025
  4. W Serghei Spivac Decision · R3 5:00 · 7 JUN 2025
  5. W Ryan Spann KO · R2 4:48 · 15 MAR 2025

AI-generated This analysis was generated with AI and may contain errors.

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