UFC Qatar video: Waldo Cortes-Acosta scores devastating knockout over Shamil Gaziev after taking fight 2 days ago

Waldo Cortes-Acosta is having quite the month after scoring his second win in November with a brutal knockout over Shamil Gaziev at UFC Qatar on Saturday.

After an eye poke left him barely able to see, Cortes-Acosta ended up scoring a devastating knockout over Ante Delija on Nov. 1 and then he got the call just two days ago to step up on short notice for his fight at UFC Qatar. He made the most of that opportunity after putting Gaziev down early and then finishing with a devastating straight right hand that ended the fight.

The knockout happened at 1:22 in the first round as Cortes-Acosta moves to 4-1 in 2025 with hopes that he might still get one more fight before the year is over.

“I want to finish this year for one more fight,” Cortes-Acosta said after his win. “This is too quick. I want to fight next month, Dec. 13. I get two days’ notice and I said I don’t care, I want to fight. I want to fight every time.

“I told you, anyone. I want Curtis Blaydes or anyone at the top of the rankings. Tom Aspinall, you see me today what I do, I’m going to break your head like that.”

Cortes-Acosta took the fight and flew halfway around the world but didn’t show any signs of jetlag as he came right out of the gate ready to exchange with Gaziev.

He got clipped with a punch early but that only seemed to fire Cortes-Acosta up as he came right back Gaziev and unloaded a huge shot of his own. With Gaziev already hurt, Cortes-Acosta unloaded the straight right hand that landed flush and put the Russian down and out in the first round.

Given Cortes-Acosta’s willingness to stay busy, the UFC might actually try to find him an opponent for that final fight card in December, but either way, he’s definitely made the most of his 2025 with two wins back-to-back in November.