Ignacio Bahamondes has become a favorite among the hardcore fans of mixed martial arts.
So, there were plenty of people who got excited when he was recently added to the UFC 313 fight card.
Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will defend his belt against Magomed Ankalaev on March 8.
The UFC 313 main event will be supported by Justin Gaethje vs Dan Hooker and a stacked undercard that will feature Ignacio Bahamondes in the toughest test of his career against long-time lightweight contender Jalin Turner.
Ignacio Bahamondes may never top his first UFC KO
Bahamondes began his UFC career with a split decision defeat to John Makdessi in April 2021.
However, there was a lot to like about the young Chilean’s performance against a 17-fight UFC veteran.
Next time out, the 27-year-old squared off against Roosevelt Roberts at UFC Vegas 34 in August 2021.
Bahamondes put on a dominant display that had him cruising to a unanimous decision for his first UFC win.
Not content with that, ‘La Jaula’ uncorked a spectacular spinning back kick in the final 10 seconds.
It connected cleanly with his opponent’s jaw and left him motionless in the middle of the Octagon.
Just five seconds were left on the clock when the fight was officially called after Bahamondes’ KO, which earned him a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus and put him in the running for the 2021 Knockout of the Year Award.
What’s Ignacio Bahamondes done lately?
Bahamondes put together a three-fight UFC winning run after making waves by sleeping Roberts.
That impressive streak came to an end when he was easily outpointed by Ľudovít Klein in August 2023.
A head-kick KO win over Christos Giagos got the 6ft 1in lightweight back in the win column before he was matched up with Manuel Torres at UFC 306, which took place at the $2.3bn Las Vegas Sphere in September 2024.
Another first-round finish put Bahamondes in contention for a big fight against a ranked 155lb fighter.
Turner is ranked #13 at lightweight after sharing the cage with Dan Hooker, Renato Moicano, and Mateusz Gamrot – but he’s most famous for beating the breaks off Bobby ‘King’ Green at UFC Austin in December 2023.
The 29-year-old has lost three of his past four fights, but he’s still young enough to get back on track.
It certainly won’t be easy for Bahamondes when he tries to add a big name to his resume at UFC 313.