Top-ranked heavyweights to duke it out at Noche UFC 4 on Sept. 19

The UFC has scheduled a heavyweight showdown between top-10 contenders Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Curtis Blaydes for Noche UFC 4 on September 19, though confusion remains about whether the event will also serve as UFC 331. The venue is still being finalized, with early reports suggesting the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, though that has not been officially confirmed. Charles Jourdain and Marlon Vera are also set to clash in a bantamweight bout on the card.

Cortes-Acosta (17-3) has enjoyed a strong 2025, competing five times and winning four bouts with three knockouts, including a knockout of Derrick Lewis at UFC 324 that extended his winning streak to three. The Dominican striker's striking output has earned him a place in the top 10 for significant strikes landed in modern heavyweight history. However, he suffered a setback in May when he lost a de facto title eliminator to Alexander Volkov on the scorecards.

Blaydes (19-6, 1 NC) brings an equally impressive resume to the matchup. He ranks second only to Cortes-Acosta on the significant strikes leaderboard, having landed 50 more than his opponent. More notably, "Razor" holds the UFC heavyweight record for takedowns landed with 66, far ahead of the next closest active fighter, Serghei Spivac, who has 32. Like Cortes-Acosta, Blaydes is coming off a loss—a "Fight of the Year" candidate against Josh Hokit in April.

With both fighters seeking to bounce back from recent defeats, this heavyweight collision has the makings of a statement win for whoever prevails, potentially positioning the victor for a push toward title contention.