Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Johnny Walker is the new main event of UFC Vegas 124 on 7 November at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, according to reports from 29 October. The heavyweight bout replaces the scheduled headliner between Sean Brady and Gabriel Bonfim, which fell apart after Brady withdrew with an injury nine days before the event. The booking was first reported by the Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana, and at the time of writing we have not found a confirmation on the UFC's own channels.
The new main event: what changed and when
Sherdog reported on 30 October, citing Viana, that Walker (23-10, 1 NC) will meet Cortes-Acosta (17-4) in a short-notice heavyweight main event. Brady, a welterweight ranked No. 5 in our database, pulled out of his fight with Bonfim. Other outlets that covered the change, including Yahoo Sports, did not agree on the cause: most do not specify the injury, one points to a knee problem and another to a staph infection. Those accounts conflict, so we do not state a cause.
Bonfim (20-1) confirmed on Instagram that he is no longer fighting on the card, as Sherdog noted. He is expected to be rebooked on a later event, but no new date or opponent has been announced. Our event page still lists him against a TBA opponent for 7 November, and that is likely to change.
Is it a five-round fight? None of the reports we read states the distance. UFC main events are normally scheduled for five rounds, but treat that as an assumption until the UFC publishes the bout.
Cortes-Acosta: two stoppages, then two decision losses
Cortes-Acosta, from the Dominican Republic and nicknamed Salsa Boy, is ranked No. 8 at heavyweight in our database as of 27 October. Other lists place him anywhere from No. 6 to No. 8. Nine of his 17 wins came by knockout or technical knockout.
His year started well. He knocked out Derrick Lewis in round two at UFC 324 on 24 January, after a first-round stoppage of Shamil Gaziev in November 2025. Since then he has lost two unanimous decisions, to Alexander Volkov at UFC 328 on 9 May and to Curtis Blaydes at Noche UFC on 12 September. He has stepped in on short notice before, and this fight comes less than two months after the Blaydes loss.
Walker at heavyweight: the UFC 332 knockout and the move up
Walker, from Brazil, made his heavyweight debut at UFC 332 on 3 October. He stopped Mick Parkin in the first round with a knee, according to the reports, and our records show the win as a first-round technical knockout. Before that he lost a decision to Dominick Reyes at light heavyweight at UFC 327 in April. He is ranked No. 12 at heavyweight in our database, and No. 14 at light heavyweight as of the end of September.
Of his 23 wins, 18 came by knockout or technical knockout and three by submission. This will be his second fight at heavyweight.
What the winner gets in the heavyweight top 10
Neither the UFC nor the reports promise anything to the winner, and rankings are decided by a voting panel, so no move is guaranteed. The picture in our database is simple: Cortes-Acosta holds the higher spot at No. 8 and is trying to stop a two-fight losing run, while Walker sits at No. 12 in his second heavyweight fight. A win for Walker would be over a higher-ranked opponent, and a win for Cortes-Acosta would end his skid.
Rest of the UFC Vegas 124 card
Our database lists Gabriel Lourenco vs. Thomas Petersen at heavyweight, Jose Henrique Souza vs. Jonny Parsons at welterweight, and Nina Nikolija Milosevic vs. Priscila Cachoeira at bantamweight, along with Austin Bashi at featherweight. Other outlets have published different lists of main card fights, so the card is still in flux. We will update the page when the UFC releases its official bout order.
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