Overview
- Stepping in for Serghei Spivac on two days’ notice, he flew roughly 21–22 hours to Doha, made weight just after landing, and stopped Shamil Gaziev in 1:22 at UFC Fight Night 265, earning a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
- The Qatar finish followed his Las Vegas win over Ante Delija, which resumed after replay confirmed an eye poke before Cortes-Acosta scored a first-round knockout.
- Following the Doha victory, the UFC’s updated rankings list him at No. 5 at heavyweight; he is 16–2 overall and 9–2 in the UFC after five bouts this year.
- He has urged a quick turnaround on December 13 and offered to face champion Tom Aspinall if a Ciryl Gane rematch is delayed, though his camp says top contenders are hesitant to accept on such short notice.
- Fight week logistics were turbulent as coach Javier Torres was briefly detained by airport security and the team leaned into a new “Fighting Pirates” identity featuring an eye‑patch motif.