UFC 316 Heavyweight Fight Changes as Spivac Takes on Cortes-Acosta
A late switch brings Waldo Cortes-Acosta into the octagon against Serghei Spivac at UFC 316. The June 7 bout at Newark’s Prudential Center came together after No. 12 Shamil Gaziev pulled out….
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 29: In this handout image provided by UFC, (L-R) Waldo Cortes-Acosta of the Dominican Republic punches Jared Vanderaa in a heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on October 29, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
(Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)A late switch brings Waldo Cortes-Acosta into the octagon against Serghei Spivac at UFC 316. The June 7 bout at Newark's Prudential Center came together after No. 12 Shamil Gaziev pulled out.
Fresh off four straight wins, No. 11 Cortes-Acosta brings his 13-1 record to the cage. His most recent triumph, a crushing TKO over Ryan Spann this March, turned heads in the division.
The seventh-ranked Spivac aims to bounce back from his loss to Jailton Almeida. Known for his finishing power, the Moldovan has stopped 15 opponents in 17 victories. His quick work on Marcin Tybura by submission showed his deadly ground game.
Two title fights top the event. Sean O'Malley meets Merab Dvalishvili again for the bantamweight crown, while Julianna Pena defends her women's belt against Kayla Harrison.
The stacked undercard features Kelvin Gastelum vs Joe Pyfer at 185 pounds. Marlon Vera squares off with Mario Bautista in a bantamweight scrap. Light heavyweights Johnny Walker and Azamat Murzakanov collide, as Vicente Luque tests himself against Kevin Holland.
The UFC returns to Newark for the first time since 2024. Prelims start at 6:00 PM Eastern. Main card action hits pay-per-view at 10:00 PM Eastern.
