As Dana White & Co. geared up for their long-awaited promotional debut in Qatar with Fight Night 265, everything seemed firmly on track. However, the momentum took a sudden hit yesterday as a result of an unexpected development. The main card, headlined by an electrifying lightweight title eliminator between Arman Tsarukyan and Dan Hooker, suffered a blow when a key heavyweight matchup suddenly collapsed.

Serghei Spivac was set to face Shamil Gaziev at Doha’s ABHA Arena, but Spivac withdrew just days before fight night. With the heavyweight division already suffering from a lack of good matchups, the sudden pullout put additional pressure on the promotion. However, the fight has now been saved thanks to a rising newcomer—fresh off a win over the reigning champion Tom Aspinall’s friend and teammate—who has stepped in on only three days’ notice.

UFC Qatar crisis eased by newcomer who beat Tom Aspinall’s teammate

MMA Junkie’s Nolan King, confirming an earlier report by ESPN Desportes’ Carlos Contreras Legaspi, revealed, “Waldo Cortes-Acosta is stepping up – again. The UFC is finalizing a bout vs. Shamil Gaziev for Saturday’s UFCQatar, multiple sources confirm. Fight was proposed a few hours ago and Cortes-Acosta is en route now. An 18-hour flight from Phoenix.”

The UFC heavyweight division has faced a challenging period, remaining slow and unpredictable. Fans last saw a final heavyweight title fight at UFC 309 over a year ago. Last month at UFC 321, the bout between reigning champion Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane ended in a no-contest after an eye poke, sparking concerns that history might repeat itself.

However, next week, UFC veteran Waldo Cortes Acosta knocked out Aspinall’s close friend Ante Delija at Vegas 110, and now Cortes Acosta is set to return to the Octagon just 18 days later, this weekend at UFC Qatar. Despite spending around three years and ten fights under Dana White & Co., nothing has put Cortes Acosta more in the spotlight than this upcoming Qatar event. A win there could firmly position him on the path toward a future title shot.

Waldo Cortes Acosta sends a warning to Tom Aspinall with just 20 percent vision

Heading into UFC Vegas 110, ‘Salsa Boy’ Waldo Cortes Acosta entered the Octagon as the underdog, while his Cortican opponent Ante Delija had the backing of Tom Aspinall and was widely regarded as the favorite. Aspinall, whose path to the title was well-defined, even stated he would vacate his title if his friend reached it. During the bout, Delija accidentally eye-poked Cortes Acosta, but the veteran fighter showed remarkable resilience by continuing despite the injury.

The fight ultimately ended in his favor, marking a pivotal moment in his career and boosting his position in the rankings. Following the victory, Cortes Acosta called out Tom Aspinall and issued a bold warning in his post-fight interview, “I felt a finger go deep inside my eye… but I decided to continue because I felt I could. My eye was at about 20 percent vision. [Tom] Aspinall, I’m coming for you, I’ll be ready,” Cortes-Acosta said. “I’m mad. I’m Dominican. That’s in my blood. I’m excited. I want to come back. I want to be champion of the world.”

This week, Cortes Acosta returns to the Octagon, and a victory could firmly set him on course to face Tom Aspinall next year.