Waldo Cortes-Acosta questions status of heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall

Waldo Cortes-Acosta publicly questioned the legitimacy of Tom Aspinall as the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight titleholder ahead of Noche UFC 4. Cortes-Acosta stated that he no longer recognizes Aspinall as champion, alleging the Brit is avoiding a rematch with Ciryl Gane. Aspinall has been inactive since his October 2025 title defense against Gane ended in a no-contest due to an eye injury. While UFC officials and advisor Eddie Hearn have confirmed the champion’s recovery remains ongoing, Cortes-Acosta claimed Aspinall has had sufficient time to return to action. Ciryl Gane secured an interim heavyweight title after knocking out Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250, setting the stage for a potential unification bout. Meanwhile, Waldo Cortes-Acosta is preparing for a scheduled heavyweight fight against Curtis Blaydes at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

• 4:37 AMSherdog — Waldo Cortes-Acosta: Tom Aspinall is ‘not a champion’