With Tom Aspinall stepping away to address his eye issues, the heavyweight title scene has hit a temporary pause. Still, with a Ciryl Gane rematch looming in the background, the idea of an interim title fight is quietly gaining momentum. And out of the many possible options, one red-hot contender has boldly thrown his name into the mix, eyeing a chance to hold the throne until the champion makes his return.

That fighter is none other than the most active 265er, Waldo Cortes-Acosta. After a dream 2025, the Dominican powerhouse kicked off 2026 by knocking out Derrick Lewis at UFC 324 and still wanted a quick turnaround against Curtis Blaydes at UFC Mexico on February 28. However, with that chance looking slim, ‘Salsa Boy’ has revealed an idea to face Alexander Volkov or Ciryl Gane for an interim title fight. 

Waldo Cortes-Acosta eyes interim title fight amid Tom Aspinall’s absence 

“If I don’t get (UFC) Mexico, I want to fight Volkov or Ciryl Gane. They’re waiting. I assume Tom Aspinall is not fighting anytime soon, so why not put an interim title in place? Whoever wins fights the champion, should they make the rematch between Ciryl Gane and Tom Aspinall. That would be good,” Waldo Cortes-Acosta told Hablemos MMA in Spanish, as per bjpenn website.

Last year, the Dominican proved that he’s not only reliable but also powerful, as he finished four of his five opponents in brutal fashion. He followed that run with another standout showing against ‘Black Beast’ at the first Paramount+ CBS event under the bright lights of T-Mobile Arena, cementing his case to face a higher-ranked opponent.

With that impressive momentum of winning 5 out of the last 6 bouts, UFC fans would also love to see Cortes-Acosta taking on bigger names, especially with an interim belt on the line. But while ‘Salsa Boy’ clearly has his eyes on gold, he also seems to understand the UFC’s desire to book the anticipated rematch. The Dominican powerhouse has made it clear that he’s open to fighting Alexander Volkov for the interim title while Aspinall and Gane settle their business for the undisputed belt.

“Any of the two are fine. Any of the two can put me to fight for an interim title. For example, the UFC goes, ‘Waldo, you and Volkov fight for the interim and take on the winner of the rematch between Gane and Aspinall,’ or maybe the UFC goes. ‘Ciryl Gane, fight him for the interim belt, and the winner fights Tom Aspinall.’ So any of those two options are fine with me,” the Dominican added.

With uncertainty surrounding Tom Aspinall’s return, the UFC might seriously consider Waldo’s proposal and slot him into an interim heavyweight title fight. That said, while the winner would be in line to face the Brit upon his return, the champion’s teammate has issued a warning to the rest of the division. 

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Aspinall’s teammate warns the heavyweight contenders

With Tom Aspinall’s time off due to eye surgery, one question stands: will the champion return the same fighter? That concern has lingered, especially as former champion Michael Bisping has also expressed doubts about how surgery could affect his fellow countryman. However, amid that uncertainty, Aspinall’s teammate Modestas Baukauskas believes the champion will come back even more dangerous.

“When he comes back expect to see the most dangerous Tom Aspinall you’ve ever seen He’s an incredible athlete, an incredible person and this is only going to make him that much sharper and better. Heavyweight division, watch out. Tom’s dealing with that really horrible eye injury. I feel really bad for him because he’s looking at potentially getting surgery and his eyes still aren’t 100%. I’ve been keeping tabs, sending messages here and there to [check] how he’s doing,” ‘the Balkan Gladiator’ told BBC.

Tom Aspinall has built a strong group of training partners, including Rico Verhoeven, who helped him prepare for the UFC 321 fight against Ciryl Gane. During that camp, the heavyweight champion also trained alongside Modestas Baukauskas, sharpening each other inside the gym. That connection gives the Lithuanian valuable insight into Aspinall’s mindset and preparation.

With that said, fans will only find out about Aspinall’s recovery once he steps back into the cage against Ciryl Gane or another top contender. That said, do you think the English powerhouse will make a statement comeback with the same aggression, or will he show a more cautious approach? Let us know in the comments section below.