Ante Delja is heading into UFC Vegas 110 with a novel mission. It is about proving that his debut efficiency towards Marcin Tybura was no fluke, however the prelude to one thing way more essential. The Croatian heavyweight, who will face No. 6 contender Waldo Cortes-Acosta within the co-main occasion, believes Saturday evening’s UFC Apex in Las Vegas will probably be an essential turning level in his profession trajectory.
Ante Delja units his sights on a fantastic efficiency at UFC Vegas 110
On the UFC Combat Night time 263 pre-fight press convention, DeLilla spoke of his intentions with the readability of a person who has waited a very long time to make his mark on the sport’s highest stage. When discussing what awaits him within the octagon, Delha provided this spot-on evaluation:
“I wish to make an announcement on Saturday. This could possibly be a breakout second for me within the UFC. I am able to put the strain on and present the followers what I am able to.”
Deliya, 35, is just not your typical UFC rookie. He’s a veteran heavyweight with 26 skilled wins, the 2022 PFL Heavyweight Champion, and somebody who has confirmed his mettle towards high quality opponents on a number of continents for over a decade. This is not his first rodeo.
His UFC debut towards Tybura at UFC Paris in September left little room for interpretation. It took Deliya simply over two minutes to remove the top-10 heavyweight common. A pointy left uppercut dropped him, adopted by a barrage of fireside that pressured the referee to cease the combat. This efficiency earned him an immediate Efficiency of the Night time bonus and, extra importantly, earned him the No. 9 spot within the UFC heavyweight rankings.
His arrival at Evolution Health XL, the place UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall trains, about 18 months in the past was a watershed second. Working with Aspinall and his father, Andy, who coaches each gamers, has sharpened Delja’s general sport whereas additionally offering him with entry to elite-level coaching companions and strategists.
What will probably be notably attention-grabbing on Saturday is the trajectory Derija will take. Defeating No. 6-ranked Cortez Acosta would give Deliya the uncommon feat of back-to-back wins over top-10 ranked heavyweights in his first two UFC fights. That is the type of restart momentum that catapults a fighter into title negotiation territory virtually instantly.
Cortez Acosta is a Dominican striker with a novel pedigree (LFA heavyweight champion, DWCS winner), and this isn’t a gimme combat designed to inflate information. He is a reliable check. The person, who educated with Georges St-Pierre on the TriStar Gymnasium, has knockout energy and has been in shut, high-quality fights.
Throughout media day, Deriha listed two particular areas the place he believes he has a bonus over his opponents. “I imagine my toes are a lot sooner and my endurance is a lot better than his,” he defined. “I feel these two issues are crucial for this Saturday’s combat.”
The story surrounding this combat focuses on what it means for the heavyweight title combat. If Deliya does his job Saturday as anticipated, he will probably be a matchup towards somebody within the high 5. It is not simply hypothesis, that is precisely what Delya herself mentioned when requested what’s going to occur subsequent. For context, the UFC heavyweight division is not transferring all that shortly, and the highest 5 spots belong to skilled killers. Getting there in simply two UFC fights would present Delija to be one thing actually totally different.
