There are at least two things that make Ignacio Bahamondes special. One is that fighting is in his blood and has been for quite some time, as we will discuss in depth later. The Chilean lightweight, of course, is one of the rising stars in the UFC’s most competitive division and has never been stopped so far in the Dana White-led promotion.

And two, Bahamondes doesn’t like to waste time. Of his four wins in the UFC so far, only one has come courtesy of the judges’ scorecard. With over fifty percent of his professional wins coming in the first or second round, ‘La Jaula’ is exactly the kind of fighter that fans love to watch- win or lose. This ferocity and warrior spirit are as much a result of his genetic bequeathment as his own disposition.

Where is Ignacio Bahamondes from? Ethnicity and nationality

Ignacio Bahamondes spent his childhood in the suburbs of the picturesque city of Santiago, the capital and biggest metropolis of his native Chile. Since his homeland is not well represented in the sport of MMA, unlike many of its neighbors, ‘La Juala’ is determined to raise the Chilean flag with a UFC belt around his waist.

As far as his ethnicity, we do not know for sure. But since 89% of the Chileans are of mixed European (mainly Spanish), and native Mapuche stock, so it is likely that the same goes for Bahamodes.

But then again, Ignacio has always fought for things bigger than himself. While the UFC lightweight has already won a title in MMA at the Lux Fighting League, he is not even the most accomplished martial artist in his own family!

After all, his father, Manuel Bahamondes himself, was a kickboxing champion. But, Ignacio’s familial association with fighting goes back two more generations to his grandfather as well as his paternal grandfather, both of whom used to be accomplished boxers in their days.

It was, therefore, natural that the UFC lightweight become a fighter. The Chilean started training in kickboxing as a child, exactly when even he cannot remember. His kickboxer father, of course, was his first trainer who made him good enough to do rounds of the local South American kickboxing circuit as a teen.

By the time he was 16, however, Ignacio had a new dream. Abandoning kickboxing, the Chilean moved to the USA, with one thing in mind- become a UFC champion. He couldn’t speak a lick of English at the time. But his dream isn’t just a personal milestone for himself, but to make the Bahamondes name an integral part of combat sports history.

“I want to write my name on the MMA history book with golden print, but that name is going to be Bahamondes and that’s the legacy that my family is going to leave,” he said. And it is quite a legacy that Ignacio is representing in the world’s largest combat sports promotion.

Which religion does Ignacio Bahamondes follow?

We know for sure that Bahamodes is Christian. Otherwise, him thanking Jesus Christ for his UFC Vegas 90 win over the ironically named Christos Giagos wouldn’t make sense. “First of all, I just want to say thank you to my Almighty Jesus. He gives me peace in the storm. Without him, none of this would be possible. He made me a new man,” the Chilean said in the post-fight octagon interview.

What we do not know, however, is what denomination (if any) he identifies with. A majority of Chileans are Catholic like their mostly Spanish ancestors. However, there is also a notable Evangelical presence in the country, so it is likely Bahamodes is either a Catholic or an Evangelical Protestant. What are your thoughts on Ignacio Bahamondes’ martial arts journey?