The UFC is all set to make its debut in Qatar with a stacked lineup. With stars like Arman Tsarukyan and Dan Hooker headlining the event, fans had their eyes on the weigh-ins, and surprisingly, it ended in a clean sweep as every fighter made weight. However, that wasn’t even the most surprising part, as Waldo Cortes-Acosta stole the show by making weight on just three days’ notice, saving the heavyweight showdown.

In terms of activity, 2025 has been an amazing year for ‘Salsa Boy’. So far, he has appeared in a staggering four fights, ranging from March to November, against tough competition like Ryan Spann, Serghei Spivac, and, most recently, Ante Delija at UFC Fight Night 110. Now, the Dominican heavyweight looks forward to making his fifth walk to the Octagon against Shamil Gaziev after the original opponent, Sergei Pavlovich, withdrew for undisclosed reasons.

Waldo Cortes-Acosta successfully makes heavyweight limit for the 5th time this year

At the UFC weigh-ins, which turned out to be an unblemished affair for the promotion, Waldo Cortes-Acosta came in at 265 lb, while his opponent Shamil Gaziev weighed 262 lb. Both fighters successfully stayed within the heavyweight limit, making the fight official. Well, ‘Salsa Boy’ hitting the scale successfully might surprise the fans, but he actually manifested it. 

He even announced on X, “Three days’ notice. I’m born to fight, coming for everybody.” With that confidence, it looked like Waldo-Acosta would make weight despite flying all the way from Phoenix to Doha while dealing with heavy jet lag. So, as the 34-year-old actually saved a massive fight on the card, it’s natural that he would look for a bonus or a big reward if he defeats Gaziev. 

Just a few weeks ago, Waldo Cortes-Acosta fought Tom Aspinall’s teammate Ante Delija in a controversial bout at UFC Vegas 110, where he suffered an eye poke yet still managed to win by knockout. With that finish, he has built a growing fan base for himself. And now, with that same determination and commitment, ‘Salsa Boy’ has proved he’s definitely one of the most reliable heavyweights on the roster.

However, as ‘Salsa Boy’ receives praise for keeping the heavyweight showdown alive at UFC Qatar, the credit also goes to all the fighters who made weight and avoided any sort of punishment from the UFC. Along with that, another veteran has created even more anticipation as he gets ready to make a pessimistic shift in his career.

Jack Hermansson successfully goes down to welterweight 

Jack Hermansson has always been regarded as one of the most respected middleweight fighters in the UFC. Last year, ‘The Joker’ completely decimated Joe Pyfer in a five-round showdown, which made people believe he’d be ready for a strong comeback, but Gregory Rodrigues gave him a reality check. At UFC 317, ‘Robocop’ completely flatlined Hermansson, which made him realize that at 37 years of age, 185 might no longer be suitable for him, so he decided to move down a weight class.

At the UFC Qatar weigh-ins, people waited to see whether the Swedish veteran could actually make the cut, and he successfully hit the scale at 170.5 lbs. His opponent, Myktybek Orolbai, also made the 170 lb limit. Just like that, ‘The Joker’ is ready to prove he can use his size advantage and become a serious threat. But as Hermansson prepares to compete at a lower weight class, was the Rodrigues knockout the only thing that pushed the decision? No.

On UFC Qatar media day, Hermansson said, “I’ve proven that I can compete with bigger guys at Middleweight, but I’m not happy with the inconsistency: a win, a loss, a win. I don’t want to look back at my career and feel like I didn’t do everything possible to find success.” And it’s true. The Swedish veteran’s career has been marked by inconsistency, and it’s actually surprising he didn’t decide to drop to welterweight sooner.

That said, as the UFC Qatar weigh-ins turned out to be a major win for the promotion and its fighters, do you think the scraps will deliver just as well? Let us know in the comments section below.