LAS VEGAS – Ignacio Bahamondes beat Christos Giagos with a first-round TKO Saturday on the main card at UFC Fight Night 240 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Bahamondes, who picked up a $50,000 performance bonus for the finish.
Ignacio Bahamondes def. Christos Giagos
Result: Ignacio Bahamondes def. Christos Giagos via TKO (head kick) – Round 1, 3:34
Updated records: Bahamondes (15-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC), Giagos (20-12 MMA, 6-8 UFC)
Key stats: Bahamondes has four knockout finishes stemming from kicks in his career.
Bahamondes on the fight's key moment
“He landed a couple punches on me, but I’m a hard head. I don’t come down easy. I’m happy with this performance and I can’t wait for the next one. We tried to get way better in every aspect of my game, but (my coach) just told me just be you – flow striking. Be relaxed. Whenever you’re relaxed, you’re the best fighter in the world. Ue all your weapons. Keep your hands high. Just never stop moving, and the fight is yours.”
Bahamondes on his family's hardships
“For an MMA fighter, losing a fight is not something nice. I think it’s the worst for a fighter. My wife was pregnant, and she lost the baby two weeks after the fight. So I was in a bad place. I didn’t want to train. I didn’t want to do anything, but God held me. He broke me so many times and he made me new again – even better, even stronger, more beautiful.
“Now my wife is pregnant five months, so the baby is coming – coming back, just like his dad. I’m happy and grateful for life. I’m grateful for the people I’ve got on my team and the people who are here at this fight. I’m just happy with life. I can’t wait for what’s next for me.”
Bahamondes on what he wants next
“I would love to wait for The Sphere (in September). I said it in the cage: It’s La Noche Latina, so they need ‘La Jaula’ there. They need ‘La Jaula.’ They need the Chilean power. I’ve got all Latin America with me, so they need me there. It would be awesome to fight there. If they have something before or something after, I would be ready anytime, anywhere, against anybody.”
To hear more from Bahamondes, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 240.
