Ignacio Bahamondes has been through a lot in recent months, personally and professionally.

The UFC lightweight prospect feels he’s a new version of himself in and out of the octagon ahead of his return this Saturday at UFC Fight Night 240. Bahamondes (14-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) takes on veteran Christos Giagos (20-11 MMA, 6-7 UFC) on the event’s main card, which goes down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Bahamondes is eager to show the world how far he’s come in the last few months.

“Everything has been working out in preparation for this fight,” Bahamondes told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “After my last fight, I went through a tough time, some difficult things. I thought everything was crashing down, but thank God I was able to get myself together, and everything started working out.

“These last three months have been a blessing for me and my family. I’ve been feeling great at the gym, and I’ve never felt better. I’m a completely different person and ready to give it my all this Saturday.”

Bahamondes is coming off a decision loss to Ludovit Klein in August, which snapped a three-fight winning streak that included a highlight-reel KO of Roosevelt Roberts. It was a missed opportunity for the 26-year-old, and soon after his defeat, tragedy hit.

“I had the fight, and everyone knows I lost,” Bahamondes said. “Then two weeks after the fight my wife was pregnant, and she lost the baby, it was our first baby, so they were things that made me hit rock bottom. I didn’t want to train. I didn’t want to go to the gym. I was feeling horrible for like two months.

“God sent me those tests, and they made me stronger. They made me better and helped me improve as a person and a fighter. God does everything for a reason, so now I’m back stronger than ever, and I’m on the right path. Perhaps I wasn’t doing things well before. Everything I went through made me look at my life retrospectively and see what I was doing wrong because things can’t be going bad if I’m doing everything well. I changed my life completely, and these last few years, I’ve never felt better. I’m my best version, and I’m reaching my peak. I feel like this fight is going to catapult me.”

Bahamondes is happy to draw a veteran name like Giagos for his return. He’s hoping to make a big statement and show the world that he’s bound for big things in the UFC’s lightweight division.

“I see this as a test that UFC is putting me to see if I’m going to keep rising or plateau,” Bahamondes said. “I’m very excited about this fight and happy to have gotten such an experienced name like Giagos because it’s a test that forced me to improve and get better in all aspects. I think after this fight, more difficult things will come, and that makes me very excited and happy.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 240.