Waldo Cortes-Acosta by no means thought he can be combating Andrei Arlovski. But, right here he’s simply days away from going through the dwelling legend.
It’s a surreal matchup for Cortes-Acosta (10-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC), who has been watching Arlovski (34-22 MMA, 23-16 UFC) struggle since he was a young person. Cortes-Acosta, now 32, feels happy with how far he’s are available in MMA now that he’s combating a former UFC champion at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 234 in Las Vegas.
“Once I began MMA, I by no means thought I’d be combating him,” Cortes-Acosta told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “I assumed perhaps I’d struggle different fighters like perhaps if I received actually, actually good, and I’d get to struggle Jon Jones. However combating Andrei Arlovski, I by no means considered it. I started combating round 2014, 2015, and I assumed in just a few years he can be retired, however no. He’s saved going, and now we’re in 2024, and he’s nonetheless at it.”
When Arlovski made his skilled debut in MMA, Cortes-Acosta was simply seven years previous and hoping to grow to be an expert baseball participant within the Dominican Republic. When Arlovski first turned UFC champion, Cortes-Acosta was 12.
By no means in 1,000,000 years did Cortes-Acosta assume he can be combating Arlovski, who’s now 44. He remembers the primary time he noticed Arlovski struggle.
“Think about, I received a flashback after I was enjoying baseball within the academy,” Cortes-Acosta mentioned. “I keep in mind someday, all my pals had been gathered on the T.V. and so they known as me over, ‘Hey, come look!’ Once I go over, I see this monster combating within the octagon. I used to be like, ‘Wow, they’re allowed to go after one another like that?’ I’m speaking about after I was 14 or 15 years previous, and take a look at me now.
“I remembered that second after I received the struggle. I really feel very happy with myself to be the place I’m at and to be combating him.”
Though Cortes-Acosta respects Arlovski, all that may exit the window the second they get locked within the cage. He gained’t let his admiration for Arlovski cease him from getting his hand raised.
“The psychological and respect struggle, all that’s thrown out,” Cortes-Acosta mentioned. “Within the cage, I’ve respect for nobody. When you’re placing on the gloves to struggle me, there’s no respect. Even my very own dad, I don’t give him any respect if we had been to struggle within the octagon. It’s one other world in there.”
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