Waldo Cortes-Acosta: Nine Kids is Enough, Ten Would Be Too Many
Dominican heavyweight Waldo Cortes-Acosta made headlines after his second-round stoppage of Derrick Lewis at UFC 324, but it was his comments about family planning that caught attention during the post-fight press conference on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Waldo Cortes-Acosta Says Nine Kids is Enough After UFC 324 Knockout Win
When asked about having a tenth child following his victory at T-Mobile Arena, Cortes-Acosta shut down the speculation immediately. “Ten kids? No, no, no, no. We already stopped there. That’s too many kids already,” Cortes-Acosta said through an interpreter. “The factory has been halted. We stopped, no more. That’s it. It’s a lot of kids. We’re done, we’re done with the production”.
The 34-year-old revealed in November 2025 that he had nine children total, which includes three biological children with his wife Sophia Lastra and three stepchildren from her previous marriage. Cortes-Acosta’s youngest child, a daughter born in August with Down syndrome, spent months in the NICU before being released. The fighter has been open about balancing his active fight schedule with his large family, stating his need to accept opportunities to provide for them.
Cortes-Acosta extended his winning streak to three fights with the Lewis victory, stopping the UFC’s all-time knockout leader at 3:14 of the second round. The Dominican fighter used patient striking and damaging leg kicks to set up the finish, dropping Lewis with a counter jab before following with ground strikes that forced referee Jason Herzog to stop the contest.
The win improved Cortes-Acosta’s record to 17-2 overall and 10-2 in the UFC. He went 4-1 in 2025 with five fights total, tying the UFC record for most bouts in a calendar year. His activity level has drawn praise from observers who note that many heavyweights struggle to maintain consistent fight schedules.
Following the victory, Cortes-Acosta called out Curtis Blaydes, the fourth-ranked heavyweight contender, for a potential bout in Mexico City. “I want Curtis Blaydes. He’s been talking a lot of trash, and I need to silence him,” Cortes-Acosta said in his post-fight interview. The Dominican fighter expressed his desire to compete at UFC Fight Night 268 in Mexico City on February 28, citing his Mexican wife and four Mexican children as motivation to fight there.
Cortes-Acosta maintains his weight around 265 pounds year-round, which he credits for his ability to accept short-notice fights. The former baseball pitcher transitioned to MMA at age 25 after an elbow injury ended his pitching career. He earned his UFC contract through Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022 and has since established himself as a rising contender in the heavyweight division.
The victory over Lewis marked a significant step up in competition for Cortes-Acosta, who defeated a two-time title challenger and former top contender. Lewis, who holds the UFC record with 16 career knockouts, struggled to land his power punches against the faster, more technical Cortes-Acosta.
