Prediction: Waldo Cortes-Acosta via Decision
Delija is an aggressive fighter who thrives when he can force pocket exchanges. He’s fast for his size, throws in combinations, and can generate real power when he’s the one pressing forward. The issue is that his defense is practically non-existent. Once opponents make him move backward, his hands drop, his head stays on the centerline, and his footwork completely falls apart. That’s a dangerous formula against a boxer as clean and composed as Acosta, who’s made a career out of punishing predictable entries.
Acosta has always been exceptional at controlling distance. It’s the one area his opponents consistently struggle to figure out. He uses his jab like a measuring stick, keeping opponents at the very edge of his range, and once he gets the beat on that jab, he starts extending his combos. His accuracy is sharp, his timing is patient, and he understands how to make opponents pay for overextending. What really separates him is how calm he remains under pressure. When opponents try to force exchanges, he uses subtle head movement, pivots off the cage, and resets the fight back into his comfort zone. That kind of discipline and defensive awareness is what completely neutralizes Delija’s forward brawling approach.
Delija, to his credit, is dangerous when he’s dictating pace. His flurries in the pocket can overwhelm fighters who stand still or trade recklessly. But when faced with someone who controls range and doesn’t bite on his blitzes, his lack of defensive fundamentals gets exposed. He eats too many clean shots and struggles to adapt once opponents start finding rhythm. Acosta won’t chase or get dragged into wild exchanges; he’ll pick his shots, land the cleaner work, and force Delija to reset over and over.
A few fights ago, there were legitimate questions about Acosta’s grappling, but that’s no longer a glaring weakness. His showing against Serghei Spivac, one of the more technically sound wrestlers at heavyweight, proved he’s been putting in serious work defensively. He stuffed several attempts, showed strong balance, and understood how to use frames and underhooks to stay upright. That kind of composure means he won’t make it easy for Delija to take him down.