Waldo Cortes Acosta vs Johnny Walker Predictions & Picks – Back Walker For Upset Win In UFC Main Event
- Johnny Walker tipped to upset Waldo Cortes Acosta in heavyweight clash
- Walker has 18 KO/TKO wins in 23 career victories; won UFC heavyweight debut by KO
- Cortes Acosta a top-six contender, but Walker's explosiveness and power stand out
Johnny Walker (Getty Images)
Waldo Cortes Acosta vs Johnny Walker Predictions & Picks
Johnny Walker is tipped to spring an upset in this heavyweight main event.
Walker combines athleticism and explosiveness with fight-finishing power, and that combination can help him cause an upset here.
- Johnny Walker won by KO in his heavyweight debut in the UFC
- 18 of Johnny Walker’s 23 career wins have come via KO/TKO
- Johnny Walker has been the distance in just two of his last 10 fights
Waldo Cortes Acosta Form
Waldo Cortes Acosta is the number six heavyweight contender with a professional record of 17-4 (9 KOs, 1 Sub).
Cortes Acosta signed with the UFC in 2022 and has been extremely active since then, fighting no less than 14 times for the promotion.
The 35-year-old Dominican had already fought three times in 2022 when he made his UFC debut in October 2022, beating Jared Vanderaa on points.
He then beat Chase Sherman via decision less than a month later, only to begin 2023 with a unanimous decision defeat to Marcos Rogerio de Lima.
Cortes Acosta rebounded with a first-round knockout of Lukasz Brzeski, and backed that up with decision victories against Andrei Arlovski and Robelis Despaigne.
He then knocked out Ryan Spann and out-pointed Serghei Spivac, only to see his five-fight win streak end in August of last year when he dropped a decision to Sergei Pavlovich.
‘Salsa Boy’ responded to that setback in emphatic fashion, knocking out both Ante Delija and Shamil Gaziev inside a round last November, and began 2026 with a second-round stoppage of Derrick Lewis.
Cortes Acosta has not won since though, dropping back-to-back decisions to Alexander Volkov and Curtis Blaydes.
Johnny Walker Form
Johnny Walker is an unranked heavyweight fighter with a career record of 23-10 (18 KOs, 3 Subs) with 1 No Contest.
Walker made his UFC debut back in November 2018 – competing at light-heavyweight – and quickly made a splash as he recorded first-round knockout wins over Khalil Rountree Jr, Justin Ledet and Misha Cirkunov.
His rise was halted by a first-round knockout loss to Corey Anderson and a unanimous decision defeat to Nikita Krylov, and he then failed to back up a first-round KO of Ryan Spann as he lost to Thiago Santos on points and to Jamahal Hill via first-round knockout.
The 34-year-old Brazilian ended 2022 on a positive note though, submitting Ion Cutelaba in the first round, and he backed that up with a first-round knockout of Paul Craig.
Walker then beat Anthony Smith by unanimous decision, only to see his resurgence end with a three-fight winless run.
He went to a No Contest with Magomed Ankalaev after an illegal knee left him unable to continue, and he then suffered knockout losses at the hands of Ankalaev and Volkan Oezdemir.
The Brazilian avoided a third straight loss as he knocked out Zhang Mingyang in the second round, but his time at light-heavyweight came to an end in April of this year when he dropped a split decision to Dominick Reyes.
Walker moved up to heavyweight following the loss, and enjoyed a successful debut at the new weight as he knocked out Mick Parkin in the first round.
Verdict
Johnny Walker makes for an appealing underdog in this heavyweight encounter.
His athleticism and explosiveness can cause plenty of problems for Waldo Cortes Acosta, and his knockout power could lead him to another stoppage success.
His athleticism and explosiveness can cause plenty of problems for Waldo Cortes Acosta, and his knockout power could lead him to another stoppage success.
Leigh Copson
Sports Editor • 25+ Years Experience, US & Combat Sports Specialist
US sports writer covering the NFL, NBA, NHL, boxing and MMA, with previews, predictions and betting tips across the major American leagues.
During his career at the Press Association and online sports sites including FreeTips and ExpertPicks.com, he has covered some of the biggest sporting events on the planet, including the Super Bowl, the Champions League Final and the World Cup Final.
He has also covered almost every major boxing match and UFC fight card during this time.. His specialist sports are American Football, Basketball, Ice Hockey, Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts and Football.