Athletes
Ignacio Bahamondes Wants To Get Back In The Mix
More Than A Year Removed From His Last Octagon Victory, Ignacio Bahamondes Plans On Returning To Form In Style At UFC Seattle
Ignacio Bahamondes wants to make up for lost time and push himself back towards the lightweight top 15.
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Bahamondes' last win – a first-round submission of Jalin Turner – came back in March 2025 at UFC 313. On Saturday night in Seattle, "La Jaula" intends to bounce back with an impressive victory, and after a frustrating few months, he's delighted to be returning to the Octagon
“I’m feeling awesome,” he told UFC.com this week.
Ignacio Bahamondes Triangle Chokes Jalin Turner | UFC 313
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Ignacio Bahamondes Triangle Chokes Jalin Turner | UFC 313
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I’ve been waiting for this fight for a really long time. I've been asking the UFC since December to give me a fight. Finally it’s here, so I'm ready.”
Bahamondes will pit his skills against former RIZIN lightweight grand prix champion Tofiq Musayev, who is looking to bounce back himself after a submission loss to Myktybek Orolbai on his UFC debut last June.
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It’s a name Bahamondes wasn’t expecting to be offered as a potential opponent, but he’s ready to make the most of the matchup as he bids to earn a shot at ranked opposition next time around.
“Yeah, I was a little bit surprised they offered me him,” he admitted.
“It's a really good fight, but I thought they were gonna give me somebody from the top 15 or something like that, but he's a really good fighter. It's a risky fight for me, but that's what we do. We like to fight. We’re always ready to fight, and whenever they say the name, it doesn't matter, we always say yes.”
It's been a minute since we last saw Bahamondes in the Octagon. His last appearance came back in June 2025, where he lost a unanimous decision to Rafael Fiziev in Baku. That defeat, coupled with the long gap between fights, has given Bahamondes the chance to rest, reset and assess where he needs to improve.
"I always say we learn way more from losses than whenever you win. And that fight taught me a lot," he admitted.
"It taught me about my mind, because I know whenever I'm focused 100 percent, I'm unbeatable. That night, I wasn't focused at all. Maybe it was the people. Maybe it was because I was in his house. But now we've fixed everything, and now we're ready to perform, no matter who is in front of us."
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The 28-year-old has added motivation to succeed now. He became a father for the second time, and the new addition to his young family, along with the support he receives from back home in Chile is helping push him to new heights.
"I always fight because I love it. I love to fight. I love to compete with the best in the world. But now it's even more than that," he explained.
Highlight: Ignacio Bahamondes Earns Wheel Kick Knockout | UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Gastelum
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Highlight: Ignacio Bahamondes Earns Wheel Kick Knockout | UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Gastelum
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"Now I have my whole family, a whole country on my back, and that motivates me way more, (it's) pushed me to go forward and be a better person and a better fighter. So now I think I'm getting to a point where I'm reaching my peak."
Bahamondes will look to bounce back against the dangerous Musayev, a successful Azerbaijani talent who will look to score his first UFC win this weekend.
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"I know he's a striker (but) I know I have a lot more weapons than him," said Bahamondes.
"He's really quick and he's really aggressive. I think that's his best point. But any striker I fight, they turn into wrestlers. So I'm pretty sure he's going to try to shoot at me, and whenever we touch the floor, that fight is going to be done. I think my jiu-jitsu is way superior than his, and I'm going to submit him if we touch the floor."
For Bahamondes, Saturday night is a chance to pick up a victory over a notable, albiet unranked, opponent — and an opportunity to get back in the mix after a while away. The Chilean wants to get back up and running, and if he gets the result he's chasing this weekend, he said he won't be shy to call out a name or two in his post-fight interview.
"I like to think in mind that I already won – I just need to get my life to that day in the future," he said.
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"I would like to face people up in the rankings. Renato Moicano, I know Brian Ortega is coming to the division, too. I think that will be a really interesting fight for all the Latin American community. So I would like to get one of those fights, or even Dan Hooker. I know he's coming from two losses, and I'm ready to give him the third one."
UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs Pyfer took place live from Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington on March 28, 2026. 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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