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Born in rural Bajhang in Nepal and introduced to MMA almost by chance, Rabindra Dhant has built his career through setbacks, regional fights and international opportunities. Now, the Nepali bantamweight stands one victory away from becoming his country’s first UFC fighter.
A dream that began far from the spotlight
Rabindra Dhant’s journey to the UFC has little in common with the traditional path of a highly touted MMA prospect.
Born in Bajhang in far western Nepal, Dhant grew up in a rural environment where professional sport offered few realistic opportunities. He initially dreamed of making a name for himself through volleyball, but those ambitions faded because of his height.
At 16, he left Bajhang in search of work, eventually moving to India. He worked as a labourer before finding a job in New Delhi as an office worker, spending his days cleaning and preparing tea. It was during that period that his life began to change.
Dhant started training in karate in the mornings before going to work. His coaches noticed his physical ability and stamina and encouraged him to try mixed martial arts. At the time, Dhant had little understanding of the sport.
He began competing in amateur events in India and eventually won a national level competition. He was even presented with an opportunity to compete at a world championship, but doing so would have required him to change his citizenship. Dhant refused, choosing instead to continue his career as a representative of Nepal.
That decision is important to understanding the fighter he would become. Nepal did not yet have the infrastructure to provide him with a straightforward route to international competition, so Dhant had to create his own path.
Building a career across India and Nepal
Rabindra Dhant’s professional career developed gradually. He travelled across India to compete, taking fights in places such as Bangalore, Madhya Pradesh and Goa. Victories began to accumulate, giving him confidence that a professional career was possible. His early record also established a characteristic that remains central to his reputation today: finishing fights.
Dhant built his record largely through stoppages before earning opportunities on increasingly significant Asian cards. He eventually returned to Nepal and competed for the Nepal Warriors Championship, where he submitted Jason Lyngdoh with a rear naked choke in the first round.
That victory helped attract the attention of Diwiz Piya Lama, who wanted to give Nepali fighters greater exposure. Lama encouraged Dhant to travel to Thailand and train at Fairtex, one of the most respected combat sports gyms in the region. The opportunity soon became much bigger than training.
The night Rabindra Dhant announced himself internationally
In September 2023, Dhant became the first Nepali fighter to compete in ONE Championship. He faced Russia’s Torepchi Dongak at ONE Friday Fights 33 in Bangkok. Dongak came into the fight with extensive amateur experience, making the contest a significant test for a fighter who had spent much of his career on the regional circuit.
Rabindra Dhant responded with a third round TKO. The victory changed how he was viewed.
When he returned to Nepal, hundreds of people gathered to welcome him. For a fighter who had once struggled to convince his own family that MMA could become a career, the reception was a striking contrast. Yet Dhant understood that one international victory did not make him an established fighter.
His first major setback
The next major step did not go entirely to plan. Dhant faced Pakistan’s Ismail Khan at ONE Friday Fights 45 in December 2023. This time, he could not produce the finish that had become a defining part of his record.
Khan won by unanimous decision after three rounds. It remains the only professional defeat on Dhant’s record. The loss became an important part of his development.
Rather than rebuilding through easier opposition alone, Dhant continued taking international opportunities and added another decision victory over Korey Sutcliffe in 2024.
He was learning that professional MMA required more than explosiveness. He needed to be able to manage a fight when the finish was not available. That lesson would become particularly important later.
From regional fighter to champion
Dhant’s career took another step forward in 2025. He defeated Eqiyuebu by first round TKO at BRAVE CF 93 in China before returning to Matrix Fight Night for the biggest fight of his career at that point.
His opponent was India’s Chungreng Koren, known as the Indian Rhino. Koren entered the contest as the MFN bantamweight champion, while Dhant was the challenger. The fight represented an important regional test because Koren was one of India’s leading MMA fighters.
Dhant finished him with punches in the third round. The victory made Dhant the first Nepali fighter to win an MFN championship. For the first time, Dhant had captured a major regional title. The fighter who had once travelled to India looking for work was now returning from international competition with a championship belt.
Road to UFC changed the scale of the dream
By 2026, Dhant had built enough of a résumé to enter Road to UFC Season 5, the UFC’s tournament designed to identify leading prospects from the Asia Pacific region. His opening opponent was the Philippines’ Kimbert Alintozon.
Dhant won by second round TKO, immediately putting himself into the semifinal. ESPN’s fight history records the victory alongside his 2025 championship win and his earlier international bouts. The semifinal against New Zealand’s Kasib Murdoch presented a very different challenge.
Murdoch was capable of testing Dhant’s grappling and forcing him into difficult positions. Instead of relying entirely on his finishing ability, Dhant stayed in the fight for the full three rounds and earned a split decision victory in Shanghai on August 28. The result advanced him to the Road to UFC final.
The fighter has changed with the level of competition
What makes Dhant’s rise particularly interesting is that his game has developed alongside the level of opposition. Early in his career, his victories were often built around raw physicality and finishing ability. His later career has demanded more patience.
The loss to Ismail Khan showed him what happens when an opponent can take the fight deep. The victory over Koren showed he could defeat a regional champion. The Road to UFC tournament has now tested whether he can compete under a much greater level of pressure.
Against Murdoch, Dhant had to deal with a fighter capable of disrupting his preferred approach. Winning a close decision instead of searching recklessly for a finish showed another side of his development.
His current professional record stands at 11 wins and one defeat, with his career built through competition in Nepal, India, Thailand and China.
Nepal’s next UFC breakthrough
Rabindra Dhant’s story is significant because Nepal has not traditionally been considered one of Asia’s major MMA markets.
Japan, South Korea and China have developed much deeper professional systems, while India is also building a growing MMA ecosystem. Nepal has had fewer established pathways for fighters seeking international competition. Dhant has largely had to build his own. That makes his progress particularly meaningful.
He has gone from leaving Bajhang at 16 to find work in India, to training before his office shifts, to travelling across India for fights, to competing in ONE Championship and BRAVE CF, to becoming an MFN champion. Now he is one fight away from the UFC.
One final step
Dhant’s next opponent is Japan’s Ryo Tajima, who defeated India’s Chungreng Koren in the other Road to UFC semifinal. The matchup also brings his journey full circle. Dhant once defeated Koren to win his MFN championship. Now he must overcome the Japanese fighter who eliminated Koren from the same UFC tournament.
A victory would give Rabindra Dhant a UFC contract and potentially make him the first Nepali fighter to compete inside the promotion. But regardless of what happens next, his rise has already changed the perception of what is possible for a fighter from Nepal.
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