Curtis Blaydes defeated Waldo Cortes-Acosta at Noche UFC on September 12. The bout left the fans unimpressed. Cortes-Acosta had wondered how Blaydes would respond after the Josh Hokit fight. The matchup came with betting lines, expert picks, and a full preview. The result factored into the UFC heavyweight division championship race. Blaydes wound up with his name called. Cortes-Acosta fell on the scorecards. The bout was on the card for Noche UFC. That outcome left a mark on the heavyweight title picture.