Ignacio Bahamondes delivered an emphatic finish at UFC Vegas 90 after he blasted Christos Giagos with a brutal head kick to end their fight in the first round.
It was a kick-heavy performance from Bahamondes, who actually uncorked a spinning wheel kick and a separate spin kick to the body that already had Giagos on high alert. Giagos made the fatal mistake to stay on his back foot just as Bahamondes uncorked a beautifully timed head kick that landed flush.
Giagos fell backwards, crashing to the ground and Bahamondes knew the fight was over, refusing to throw any follow up strikes. The referee rushed in for the stoppage at 3:34 in the opening round.
“So happy,” Bahamondes said about the win. “I dream about this. I visualized it and now it’s happening. I saw it, I felt so many times in kickboxing. I know whenever somebody can defend himself. I knew he was done and didn’t need more punishment.”
Standing 6-foot-3-inches tall, Bahamondes used that reach and length to his advantage as he kept Giagos on the end of his strikes from the first second of the fight until the last. Giagos did his best to get inside, but he just couldn’t find an entry without eating shots from Bahamondes.
The spinning kicks from Bahamondes in succession — one to the head and one to the body — already did some damage but Giagos survived the initial barrage. He wasn’t as lucky the second time around when Bahamondes unleashed the head kick that rattled off Giagos’ head and sent him down to the ground to end the fight.
It was a strong showing from Bahamondes, who got back in the win column following a loss in his last outing as he moves to 4-1 in his past five fights. Now he’s hoping to represent Chile at the upcoming UFC card at The Sphere in Las Vegas in September.
“I’m in love with this game,” Bahamondes said. “I saw a couple of lightweights fight today. I would love to see it in September. I know that everyone wants to get in The Sphere for the first time. I hope we can make it.”
