LAS VEGAS – Waldo Cortes-Acosta wants to stay busy, and he wants to do so while fighting at the elite level of the UFC heavyweight division.
Following his latest win, Cortes-Acosta (17-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) called for a fight against former title challenger Curtis Blaydes for UFC Fight Night 268, which goes down on Feb. 28 in Mexico City. Cortes-Acosta is looking to return in just a month’s time after putting away Derrick Lewis (29-13 MMA, 20-11 UFC) on the main card of Saturday’s UFC 324.
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“I’ve asked for Curtis Blaydes before. Let’s see if he is up to fight me in Mexico,” Cortes-Acosta said at the UFC 324 post-fight press conference. “I would like to fight in Mexico if God permits, and it would be an honor for me to represent Latin America in Mexico.”
Cortes-Acosta has made quite the name for himself in the UFC heavyweight division over the past year. In 2025, Cortes-Acosta fought five times and went 4-1 to cement himself among the top fighters of the division.
Given Blaydes’ wrestling-heavy style, some may see Cortes-Acosta’s callout as a risky preposition. However, “Salsa Boy” doesn’t see it that way.
“It’s not very hard. It’s not a crazy big challenge,” Cortes-Acosta said when asked about Blaydes. “I’ve already been through bigger challenges in the last three fights. I want to fight him because he talks a lot of trash on social media and I don’t like people who talk like that, so I want to crack his head.”
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Apart from wanting to stay busy while also furthering his career in getting a notable name like Blaydes, Cortes-Acosta also has an emotional tie with Mexico, which is why he’s adamant on getting a fight there.
“I want to fight in Mexico, Mexico, Mexico,” Cortes-Acosta said. “Fighting in Mexico City has always called my attention. It’s something I want to do for me and for my family. I have four Mexican kids and my wife is Mexican, as well, so I want to give her the opportunity to take her there so she can see Mexico and get a win there.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Waldo Cortes-Acosta calls out former title challenger for UFC Mexico
