Ignacio Bahamondes picked up his first UFC victory in violent fashion at UFC on ESPN 29 when he knocked Roosevelt Roberts out with a spinning wheel kick. The finish came at 4:55 of Round 3.
The fight served as the second fight on the UFC on ESPN 29 prelims. The event took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card aired on ESPN/ESPN+ after prelims on ESPN2/ESPN+.
For the majority of the 15 minutes, Bahamondes (12-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) picked apart Roberts (10-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) on the feet. Round 3, in particular, leaned in Bahamondes’ favor as the lengthy Chilean lightweight peppered Roberts’ body with brutal punches. Roberts gingerly shot for takedowns, but to no avail.
A frequently thrown kick by Bahamondes was the spinning back kick to the body, so when he went high with a wheel kick, it caught Roberts off guard.
OH MY 😱@jaulabahamondes just added one to his highlight reel 🎞 #UFCVegas34 pic.twitter.com/G8ROEc0Z0h
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 22, 2021
The win is Bahamondes’ first in two attempts since his UFC contract-earning front kick knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020. As for Roberts, the defeat is his second in three fights. The two defeats bookend a no contest, which was originally a loss for Roberts that was overturned due to a positive marijuana test from his opponent Kevin Croom.
The up-to-date UFC on ESPN results include:
- Ignacio Bahamondes def. Roosevelt Roberts via knockout (wheel kick) – Round 1, 4:55
- Ramiz Brahimaj def. Sasha Palatnikov via technical submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:33
