Waldo Cortes-Acosta eyeing Jan. 24 fight against Derrick Lewis on UFC's Paramount debut

Waldo Cortes-Acosta has had one of the weirdest, wildest MMA months in recent memory, making his rise through the UFC heavyweight division all the more captivating.

The Dominican contender started November by scoring one of the more bizarre comebacks you'll ever see. Facing former PFL champion Ante Delija, Cortes-Acosta suffered a gnarly eye-poke that appeared to be a potential fight-ender. Instead, the action controversially resumed and Cortes-Acosta swiftly scored a knockout with essentially one eye. Weeks later, he flew to UFC Qatar on just days' notice and dispatched Shamil Gaziev with another knockout in a mere 82 seconds.

As the dust settles, Cortes-Acosta, 34, has suddenly elevated himself to a No. 5 spot in the UFC's media-generated heavyweight rankings. "Salsa Boy" told Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show" on Wednesday that, in his perfect world, he hopes to challenge for heavyweight gold next year. But first, he'll have to wait until UFC champion Tom Aspinall — whose recent title defense against Ciryl Gane ended via an eye-poke no-contest — recovers to settle his rematch with the Frenchman.

When Aspinall vs. Gane 2 inevitably happens, Cortes-Acosta foresees the challenger carrying his momentum forward and getting the job done.

"I think Tom Aspinall is a little worried about Ciryl Gane," Cortes-Acosta said Wednesday. "In this [recent] fight, [Gane] looked amazing, looking on a other level than Aspinall expected. The jab connected very good.

"I think Tom Aspinall tasted blood too early in the round. I think he was pushing to not try and fight no more after the poke to the eye."'

Activity has been Cortes-Acosta's best friend since he arrived to the UFC in 2022. He's already fought 11 times and defeated notable names like Serghei Spivac, Ryan Spann and Andrei Arlovski. However, his latest two outings in November are arguably his signature wins.

Cortes-Acosta knows there's more work to be done before he gets his golden opportunity. He has some names in mind, and believes a victory over either could be all he needs.

"I think I'm one more fight away from [a title shot]," Cortes-Acosta said.

"I want to fight with Curtis Blaydes, but I don't know, maybe they're pushing me for 'The Beast,' Derrick Lewis. This would be fun for me."

Blaydes and Lewis have both been staples of the UFC heavyweight division for a decade now. Over the time, both men have proven to be formidable tests for any new names surging through the ranks.

In Cortes-Acosta's case, he's caught the eye of Lewis, in particular; Lewis mentioned his name ahead of the American's July fight with Tallison Teixeira. Though nothing is official just yet, "Salsa Boy" leans toward the likelihood of a "Black Beast" matchup being next, and even has an idea when it could happen.

"No offers yet, but I think it's confirmed, maybe something for January 24," he said, pointing to UFC's kickoff event with Paramount. "Big show. I think maybe Derrick Lewis or something. I like it, I love it."