Ante Delija Expects Violence against Cortes-Acosta, Defends Aspinall Over No-Contest Controversy
Croatian heavyweight Ante Delija steps into the UFC Octagon for the second time this Saturday at UFC Vegas 110, facing fellow power-puncher Waldo Cortes-Acosta in a matchup tailor-made for violence.
A former PFL champion with a reputation for suffocating pressure and finishing instincts, Delija now has the chance to make an statement at the UFC APEX against Cortes-Acosta.
“I need to be very careful because of his strong knockout power. He’s 120 kilograms so I don’t think I should get very close to him,” Delija told reporters on Wednesday.
“I really practiced a lot with my coach, I do believe that I’m a better fighter, and that I will win. I’m going to focus on staying strong on my feet.”
Delija (26-6) trains alongside UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. Aspinall’s second title defense ended in disappointment after an accidental eye poke forced the fight to be ruled a no-contest, a result that drew heavy criticism from some fans for his decision not to continue.
“I think he did a great job with not continuing, and if more fighters do the same thing, I think we can prevent the same thing from happening again,” he said.
“More fighters should do the same thing, and more fighters should be punished for behaving that way. I had 33 fights and I never poked somebody in the eye. The punishment for (committing fouls) should be severe.”
Delija noted that Aspinall’s eye still hasn’t fully healed, though he’s unsure of the exact diagnosis or timeline for the champion’s recovery.
“I am not 100% sure what (it is), but he still doesn’t have eyesight in one of his eyes. Still not fully recovered,” he said.
Regardless of how the first fight ended, Delija has no doubt his teammate will defeat Gane in the rematch and retain the title.
“In my opinion Tom is a better fighter in general, and I did see that in that fight as well,” said Delija.
“I believe he’s going to win definitely in the next fight.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Ante Delija above. He faces Waldo Cortes-Acosta at UFC Vegas 110 on Saturday night.
