This past Saturday on the main card of UFC 313, we saw a lightweight battle with a ranking on the line. Ignacio Bahamondes (17-5) was looking to win his third fight in a row and take the ranking spot of 13th ranked Jalin Turner (14-9).
Bahamondes entered the octagon as the betting favorite which did surprise me a bit. Turner had been 1-3 in his last four but the competition level was very high in those matchups. He had two split decision losses and his loss to Renato Moicano honestly should’ve been a win had he not walked off thinking he had a knockout instead of following up.
That said, it was clear to see why Bahamondes was the favorite on Saturday night. After both men landed early in some exchanges, Turner was able to land a takedown. Once things were on the ground, Bahamondes was able to land some big elbows from the bottom before securing a triangle choke and getting the win at UFC 313.
What’s next after UFC 313?
I’ll be very curious to see what’s next for Bahamondes after that performance on Saturday night. He’s now ranked 15th in the lightweight division and there are a few options for him. A few guys outside the rankings who still make sense are guys like Mauricio Ruffy who also got a first round win at UFC 313 and a guy like Nasrat Haqparast.
Inside the rankings, you could look at someone like a Benoit Saint-Denis as a good step up for Bahamondes. BSD needs a win so you know that he’s going to be motivated the next time out and he’s currently ranked 13th. Would be a good progression fight for Bahamondes.