Waldo Cortes-Acosta will replace Serghei Spivac on three days’ notice and face Shamil Gaziev at Saturday’s UFC Qatar in Doha.
A person with knowledge of the promotion’s plans confirmed the switch to MMA Fighting following a report from ESPN Deportes. Gaziev also confirmed the news on social media.
UFC Qatar will take place at the Ali Bin Hamad al-Attiyah Arena in Doha and feature Arman Tsarukyan vs. Dan Hooker in a five-round lightweight main event. It’s still unclear what led to Spivac’s withdrawal.
Cortes-Acosta (15-2) knocked out Ante Delija in under four minutes earlier this month, rebounding from a decision defeat to Sergei Pavlovich and improving to 6-1 since mid-2023. “Salsa Boy” makes his fifth appearance of 2025, and accepted the bout on Wednesday. Cortes-Acosta traveled to Qatar hours later from Phoenix to take the short notice opportunity, his team confirmed to MMA Fighting. The Dominican Republic native has now won eight of 10 under the UFC banner, topping the likes of Andrei Arlovski, Robelis Despaigne, Ryan Spann and Spivac.
“Anytime, anywhere, against anybody,” Cortes-Acosta posted on Instagram stories. “Just to prove I’m one of the best and I’m always ready. See you Saturday in Qatar.
Gaziev (14-1) was slated to face Spivac in three different dates in 2025 but neither came to fruition. He hasn’t entered the octagon since a first-round knockout over Thomas Petersen in February, improving to 3-1 with a pair of finishes in the promotion.
“Respect to the pirate for stepping on board,” Gaziev wrote on X, “but the Gulf is my territory, and it’s going to be very tough for your ship to row here.”
Subscribe to my channel
