Chilean Athlete Aims to Represent His Country at UFC Chile

Ignacio Bahamondes, a 20-year-old Chilean athlete, wants to represent his country in the inaugural UFC event in Chile, which has been confirmed for May 19th at the Movistar Arena. He believes it is time to join the promotion, and that visiting his homeland is the perfect moment.

"I am very happy because MMA is being taken very seriously in Chile. The fact that UFC is coming here could give me an opportunity to represent my flag. I would like a spot on the card, since it will be the first event in the country and in my hometown, and because UFC is the best company in the world for what I do and love," he said in an interview with La Afición.

Bahamondes mentioned that there are several athletes he would like to face if given the opportunity to step into the octagon, one of them being the finalist of the third season of the reality show The Ultimate Fighter Latinoamérica, Peruvian Claudio Puelles: "It would be a great fight, both of us have a good style and are young. I would like to show all my potential in front of him, because I think he is one of the best in Latin America in the UFC."

The Chilean has been training for two years at Valle Flow Striking Gym in Chicago, Illinois, where he prepares with Coach Mike Valle: "It has helped me a lot in my career as an athlete, as a high performance athlete, and as a person. He always takes care of us, I feel very comfortable and I am giving 100% in developing my skills."

"My striking has evolved. It used to be very basic, traditional kickboxing. Now I have many more weapons: high kicks, front kicks, side kicks, spinning kicks, as well as boxing. I am improving my takedowns, doing wrestling and jiu-jitsu four days a week. I have improved completely in condition, technique, and responsibility; I have made a lot of progress as a fighter and as a human being," he added.

Among his training partners are Mexicans Yair Rodríguez, Horacio Gutiérrez, and Alejandro Flores, who have fought in major promotions worldwide: "They are great people and very good athletes, I am always learning from them because they are in the place where I want to be someday."

In addition, he has had international fights since he was 16 years old, some in Mexican promotions: "When you go to Mexico, you know you're going to war. Mexicans are very strong, they don't give up and always go forward. They are among the best in MMA in Latin America."

"In the United States, they have an advantage in wrestling because they are taught it like we are taught soccer: they practice it from a young age. That's why we keep training our defense and takedowns, to be able to face all fighters, including the best in the world," he added.

Nicknamed 'La Jaula' (The Cage in English), he explains that this name is a legacy from his father: a black belt in karate and South American kickboxing champion, who introduced him to martial arts at the age of four. "When I was a kid, he worked at a restaurant called 'La Jaula Dorada' (The Golden Cage), and when he fought, his peers called him 'La Jaula' (The Cage). Since I was a child, I saw him as a hero, and I used to say that I was 'La Jaulita' (The Little Cage), so I always use the name," he concluded.

So far, four fights have been announced for the May 19th event. More fights, including the main event, will be announced soon.