Ground game
27 DThin offensive ground game. Wins come standing; once taken down this fighter is hunting a stand-up, not a sweep chain.
- 0.40 takedowns / 15 at 50% accuracy
- 0.10 submission attempts / 15 · 1 career sub wins
Heavyweight
“Salsa Boy”
17-3
SLpM
5.34
SApM
3.15
Str Acc
51%
Str Def
57%
TD Avg
0.40
TD Acc
50%
TD Def
78%
Sub Avg
0.10
Power striker
Fight IQ
Built from FightMetric rates, method shares, and 8 loaded UFC rows. Timing and agility are tape proxies, not lab measurements.
IQ
Ground
Defense
Counter
Reaction
proxy
Agility
proxy
TD react
Chin
Durability
Standard UFC durability. Can be hurt, usually recovers if the shot is not clean.
Ground game
Thin offensive ground game. Wins come standing; once taken down this fighter is hunting a stand-up, not a sweep chain.
Waldo Cortes Acosta “Salsa Boy” is a 34-year-old Orthodox heavyweight out of Dominican Republic, camped at UKF Gym. The tape read: power striker. Career mark 17-3-0 — 10 by KO/TKO, 1 by submission, 6 by decision. Fight IQ grades C+ (67).
What works. Durability is the standout at 74 (B). Standard UFC durability. Can be hurt, usually recovers if the shot is not clean. Ground game D on 0.40 TD/15 and 0.10 sub attempts. Striking defense C+ at 57% / 3.15 SApM. Counter punching C+; punching agility B (output × accuracy × age curve). Takedown reaction C+ on 78% TD defense. These are tape proxies — not lab reaction times — built from FightMetric rates, finish shares, and 8 loaded UFC rows.
Where it breaks. Ground game is the soft spot (27, D). Thin offensive ground game. Wins come standing; once taken down this fighter is hunting a stand-up, not a sweep chain. Opponents who force wrestling and keep the fight on the fence have historically been the ones who make this résumé leak. Losses lean decision more often than a highlight — the issue is usually control of minutes, not a glass jaw.
Recent tape (8 bouts): L Volkov (Decision - Unanimous R3) · W Lewis (KO/TKO R2) · W Gaziev (KO/TKO R1) · W 3041315 (KO/TKO R1) · L 4217395 (Decision - Unanimous R3). Form index positive over the last 5. 2 of those wins reached the championship minutes — cardio and late IQ are real.
Thin offensive ground game. Wins come standing; once taken down this fighter is hunting a stand-up, not a sweep chain.
Eats more than a championship pocket should. High SApM or a porous guard will get taxed against power.
Can punish a reaching opponent. Not a pure counter artist, but the return shot is live.
Average-plus reactions. Gets touched, but rarely frozen in place when the shot or the shot-to-takedown comes.
Enough snap to score and to threaten. Not a blur, but the volume is organized.
Hips arrive late. A committed wrestler will get them down; the question is what happens next.
Standard UFC durability. Can be hurt, usually recovers if the shot is not clean.
Next
Noche UFC: Rodriguez vs. Silvavs Curtis Blaydes · model 37%
| Date | Opponent | Res | Method | Rnd | Sig |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 2026 | Alexander Volkov | L | Decision - Unanimous | 3 5:00 | 54/130 |
| Jan 25, 2026 | Derrick Lewis | W | KO/TKO | 2 3:14 | 44/62 |
| Nov 22, 2025 | Shamil Gaziev | W | KO/TKO | 1 1:22 | 10/21 |
| Nov 1, 2025 | Fighter 3041315 | W | KO/TKO | 1 3:59 | 12/17 |
| Aug 23, 2025 | Fighter 4217395 | L | Decision - Unanimous | 3 5:00 | 45/117 |
| Jun 8, 2025 | Serghei Spivac | W | Decision - Unanimous | 3 5:00 | 110/235 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | Ryan Spann | W | KO/TKO | 2 4:48 | 66/111 |
| May 11, 2024 | Robelis Despaigne | W | Decision - Unanimous | 3 5:00 | 52/101 |