Athletes
Ignacio Bahamondes Is Ready For The Spotlight
Three First-Round Finishes Put Ignacio Bahamondes In Position To Break Into The Top 10, But He First Must Get Past His Toughest Opponent To Date On June 21
About two years ago, Ignacio Bahamondes was sitting in his hotel room in Nashville, riddled with disappointment in the wake of a decision loss to Ludovit Klein. Bahamondes went into fight week riding the momentum of three consecutive wins and hoped a fourth would put him in position to fight someone in the top 15. Instead, he could never get going in the fight and suffered his first loss in two years.
Rather than hanging his head, he looked over at his team and told them:
“Dude, they just woke up a beast.”
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Since then, Bahamondes is 3-0 with three first-round finishes and three performance bonuses. He and his partner also welcomed a son, Santino, which has brought its own motivations, as well.
“I've been growing a lot as a person,” Bahamondes told UFC.com. “I've started living the lifestyle as a fighter. Everything I do, everything I breathe, everything I eat is fighting. I think that what has been changing on me. I've been maturing a lot more. I'm a father now, so it's not just me. I think that changed me. Now, everything in the cage, you can see it because my life outside is everything on the line.”
The recent run of form earned Bahamondes his biggest opportunity yet in the form of Rafael Fiziev in the co-main event at UFC Fight Night: Hill vs Rountree Jr.
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Although Fizieiv is coming off three consecutive losses, anyone who considers themselves a fight fan understands the dangers he presents. His desperation to win only adds to the danger. On top of that, Fiziev is keen to perform in front of the fans in UFC’s first trip to Azerbaijan. Bahamondes expects fans to get behind their own representative, but he won’t feel rattled. Part of that ease of mind comes from having fought just once in his own home country of Chile, and part of it comes from the confidence and wisdom instilled from his team. Between his coach Mike Valle and Valle Flow Striking teammates like Belal Muhammad and Yair Rodriguez, Bahamondes has constant access to a wealth of high-level experiences.
“They give me a lot of knowledge because they been there wherever I am right now,” he said. “They've been there a long time ago. I always heard them talking and giving me knowledge, and I’ve been learning a lot from them. I think that's kind of a cheat code, because not all the guys have that, and thank God I have it.”
The 27-year-old Chilean’s improvements are apparent each time he steps into the Octagon. Since earning his contract in November 2020, Bahamondes rounded out his game to the point that he was able to wrap up his second submission win in his most-recent fight against Jalin Turner, joking that perhaps he is now a grappler.
Jokes aside, Bahamondes said he always wants to “stand and bang,” and he anticipates as much when he fights Fiziev, who is one of the sharpest strikers in the lightweight division.
While Bahamondes carries plenty of respect for Fiziev, he is brimming with his own bravado.
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“I'm better than him,” Bahamondes said. “I think wherever he's good, I'm better than him, and wherever he's bad, I'm way better than him.
“I don't see this fight going another way than me raising my hand.”
At 6-foot-3, Bahamondes towers over most of his opponents, and he has continuously improved his ability to make the most of his physical tools. He believes dictating the range will play a massive part in finding success on June 21. If he can keep Fiziev at bay, he hopes Fiziev will get frustrated and promptly get pulled into a big shot.
Breaking into the rankings in the lightweight division is one thing, but advancing to the top 10 is an entirely different beast. Bahamondes, to this point, navigated the shark tank well enough to earn a number next to his name. It took a couple losses, but as he enters his physical prime, “La Jaula” seems to have everything coming together at the right time. On fight night, he hopes to make good on all his potential and perhaps announce himself as a legitimate contender at 155 pounds.
“For the UFC to give me this opportunity, it means a lot to me because it says they know I'm ready,” he said. “I see this as my big final test to see if I'm getting into the title run, and I think I got it.”
UFC Fight Night: Hill vs Rountree Jr. took place live from Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan on June 21, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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