We've got ourselves another banger fight in the Featured Prelim bout for UFC Vegas 104, taking place in the Heavyweight Division. No. 12-ranked Waldo Cortes-Acosta of the Dominican Republic will take on Fortis MMA's own Ryan Spann as both men look to build a winning streak. Check the UFC odds series for our Cortes-Acosta-Spann prediction and pick.

Waldo Cortes Acosta (12-1) has gone 5-1 inside the UFC since 2022 en route to receiving a top-15 ranking in the Heavyweight Division. Following his first career loss to Marcos Rogerio de Lima, he's won three-straight bouts and most recently beat Robelis Despaigne via unanimous decision. Cortes-Acosta stands 6-foot-4 with a 70-inch reach.

Ryan Spann (22-10) has gone 8-5 inside the UFC since 2018. Following three-consecutive losses in the Light Heavyweight Division, Spann won his most recent fight with a guillotine choke over Ovince Saint Preux. He now makes the jump to heavyweight for the first time as he tries to build momentum for himself. Spann stands 6-foot-5 with a 79-inch reach.

Here are the UFC Vegas 104 Odds, courtesy of DraftKings. 

UFC Vegas 104 Odds: Waldo Cortes-Acosta-Ryan Spann Odds

Waldo Cortes-Acosta: -175

Ryan Spann: +145

Over 2.5 rounds: -180

Under 2.5 rounds: +140

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Why Waldo Cortes-Acosta Will Win

  • Last Fight: (W) Robelis Despaigne – U DEC
  • Last 5: 4-1
  • Finishes: 5 KO/TKO, 1 SUB

Waldo Cortes-Acosta was a +205 betting underdog against Robelis Despaigne in his most recent fight, but he knew to win all he had to do was make it out of the first round. For his size, Acosta has great cardio and movement around the octagon. From a striking standpoint, he's one of the more technical and precise boxers this Heavyweight Division has to offer, so it'll be interesting to see what tactics he uses while being at a reach disadvantage. He's throwing 5.64 sig. strikes per minute, so expect him to immediately mix things up against a fighter that likes to start fast in Ryan Spann.

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Waldo Cortes-Acosta will be welcoming his opponent to a new division and should have a significant edge in size, power, and strength. His opponent is a far better raw athlete, but it's countered by the fluid striking and easy movement from Cortes-Acosta. This may lend itself to a three-round striking battle on the feet, so expect Cortes-Acosta to increase his power as he tries to land a knockout blow and prevent this one from seeing a decision. Still, his last two wins have come by unanimous decision, so his efforts in managing a three-round battle should boast well for him in this one.

Why Ryan Spann Will Win

  • Last Fight: (W) Ovince Saint Preux – SUB (guillotine choke, R1)
  • Last 5: 2-3
  • Finishes: 6 KO/TKO, 13 SUB

Ryan Spann's last submission win over Ovince Saint Preux had to have been a confidence booster following three-straight losses to tough opponents. It earned him his third “performance of the night” bonus and he's fully capable of turning in an exciting performance, but he's hit a bit of a rut over these last few fights. Hopefully, he's prepared for this move to heavyweight and will have taken the necessary steps to adjust his body to a new style of opponent. His athleticism and reach will be his two greatest strengths during this fight.

Ryan Spann is also the far better grappler in this matchup, but we're still waiting to see how easily he'll be able to handle some of these heavyweight opponents when tying up with them. Waldo Cortes-Acosta hasn't spent much time on the ground throughout his current UFC run, so it'd be advantageous for Spann to bring this fight to the mat and work from where he's most comfortable.

Final Waldo Cortes-Acosta-Ryan Spann Prediction & Pick

This will be a very intriguing matchup as Ryan Spann makes his first appearance in the Heavyweight Division. Waldo Cortes-Acosta is already one of the division's best up-and-coming talents with his latest win proving a complete skill set from the traditional boxer. If this fight remains within boxing range, we should see Cortes-Acosta control the striking distance and do enough damage from close range to tilt this bout in his favor.

However, Ryan Spann has an equalizing game plan in taking this fight to the ground and threatening with his submission attempts, so it may come as a surprise to his opponent if he's able to get this fight onto the mat.

This should be a close fight given the betting lines and if Ryan Spann is able to stick his jab and take advantage of his reach, it may become difficult for Cortes-Acosta to find any kind of range against him. Still, he's unproven in this weight class so we'll have to roll with the natural heavyweight in Waldo Cortes-Acosta to find the win in this one.

Final Waldo Cortes-Acosta-Ryan Spann Prediction & Pick: Waldo Cortes-Acosta (-175)