Rabindra Dhant
| Rabindra Dhant | |
|---|---|
| Born | 30 November 1998 Bajhang, Nepal |
| Nickname | Bajhang ko Bagh (The Tiger of Bajhang) |
| Nationality | Nepalese |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) |
| Weight | 135.5 lb (61.46 kg; 9 st 9.5 lb) |
| Division | Bantamweight |
| Style | Mixed martial arts |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Fighting out of | Kathmandu, Nepal |
| Team | Lock N Roll MMA (2022-active) Soma Fight Club (2024-active) |
| Years active | 2021–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 12 |
| Wins | 11 |
| By knockout | 8 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 2 |
| Losses | 1 |
| By knockout | 0 |
| By submission | 0 |
| By decision | 1 |
| Other information | |
| Occupation | Mixed martial artist |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Rabindra Dhant[a] (born 30 November 1998) is a Nepalese professional mixed martial artist. He became the first Nepali to win a title in a professional MMA promotion after claiming the Matrix Fight Night (MFN) bantamweight championship by defeating Chungreng Koren at MFN 17 in August 2025. He subsequently made history again in 2026, becoming the first Nepalese fighter to advance in Road to UFC by defeating Kimbert Alintozon in the quarterfinals of Season 5. In the semifinals, Dhant faced New Zealand's Kasib Murdoch and defeated him via split decision, advancing to the tournament final.
Dhant currently competes in the bantamweight division and is known for his striking ability and background in karate and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.[1][2][3]
Early life and background
Dhant was born in Bitthadchir Rural Municipality of Bajhang District in far-western Nepal. He completed his schooling up to Grade 10 at a local school in his village. At the age of 16, he migrated to Pithoragarh, India, in search of employment and worked there as a manual laborer. In an interview on On Air, he stated that his "back bones had come out" due to excessive manual labour, earning about $1.6 for 8 hours of work per day.[4] He later moved to New Delhi, where he held jobs in small offices, primarily performing cleaning and tea-serving duties.[5]
While in Delhi, Dhant began training in karate, attending sessions early in the morning before work. Encouraged by a local coach, he eventually transitioned to mixed martial arts, despite initially having limited exposure to the sport.[6]
MFN 17 and title achievement
On 2 August 2025, Dhant competed at MFN 17 held in Greater Noida, India. He faced Chungreng Koren, an Indian fighter known as The Indian Rhino, who held a record of 7–1. Dhant entered the bout with an 8–1 record and secured a victory in the third round via knockout. With this win, he became the first Nepali athlete to claim a championship title in the MFN promotion.[7][8][9]
Recognition and impact
Following his MFN title win, Dhant received widespread recognition from the Nepali public, media outlets, and political leaders. Despite beginning his career without institutional support, his victory has been hailed as a milestone for combat sports in Nepal. Due to his origin and aggressive fighting style, he is often referred to as Bajhang ko Bagh (The Tiger of Bajhang).[10][11][12]
Dhant made his Road to UFC debut in Season 5 at the Galaxy Arena in Macau.[13][14] He was originally scheduled to face Matty Iann on 28 May 2026, during Episode 1 of the tournament.[15] However, Iann withdrew due to a knee injury and was replaced by Kimbert Alintozon.[16] Dhant won the bout via technical knockout (TKO) in the second round, securing his advancement to semi-finals in the tournament.[17][18] In the semifinals, Dhant faced New Zealand's Kasib Murdoch and defeated him by split decision, advancing to the tournament final.[19][20]
Mixed martial arts record
| 12 matches | 11 wins | 1 loss |
| By knockout | 8 | 0 |
| By submission | 1 | 0 |
| By decision | 2 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 11–1 | Kasib Murdoch | Decision (split) | Road to UFC Season 5: Semifinals | 28 August 2026 | 3 | 5:00 | Shanghai, China | Road to UFC Season 5 Bantamweight Tournament Semifinal. |
| Win | 10–1 | Kimbert Alintozon | TKO (punches) | Road to UFC Season 5: Opening Round – Day 1 | 28 May 2026 | 2 | 4:37 | Macau SAR, China | Road to UFC Season 5 Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal. |
| Win | 9–1 | Chungreng Koren | KO (punches) | Matrix Fight Night 17 | 2 August 2025 | 3 | 0:54 | Greater Noida, India | Won the MFN Bantamweight Championship. |
| Win | 8–1 | Eqiyuebu | TKO (punches) | Brave CF 93 | 18 April 2025 | 1 | 2:56 | Zhengzhou, China | |
| Win | 7–1 | Korey Sutcliffe | Decision (unanimous) | Nepal Warriors: Fight Night 3 | 25 May 2024 | 3 | 5:00 | Kathmandu, Nepal | |
| Loss | 6–1 | Ismail Khan | Decision (unanimous) | ONE Friday Fights 45 | 15 December 2023 | 3 | 5:00 | Bangkok, Thailand | |
| Win | 6–0 | Torepchi Dongak | TKO (punches) | ONE Friday Fights 33 | 15 September 2023 | 3 | 1:55 | Bangkok, Thailand | Return to Bantamweight. |
| Win | 5–0 | Jason Lyngdoh | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Nepal Warriors: Fight Night 1 | 16 June 2023 | 1 | 1:23 | Kathmandu, Nepal | |
| Win | 4–0 | Ravi Saw | TKO (punches) | Goa Alpha Events: Goa Combat 2022 | 20 October 2022 | 2 | 3:24 | Taleigão, India | |
| Win | 3–0 | Krishna Payasi | TKO (punches) | Fight of Knights 2022 | 22 May 2022 | 2 | 2:02 | Nimach, India | Featherweight debut. |
| Win | 2–0 | Rohit Pundeer | TKO (punches) | Ultimate Fighting League 3 | 15 December 2019 | 1 | 4:00 | Rampur Bushahr, India | Flyweight debut. |
| Win | 1–0 | Padeep Singh | TKO | Hosharafu FC 32 | 5 May 2019 | 2 | 1:04 | New Delhi, India | Bantamweight debut. |
| Source:Sherdog[21] | |||||||||
See also
Notes
References
- ↑ "Rabindra Dhant makes history as first Nepali MFN champion". Online Khabar. 3 August 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "Rabindra Dhant Makes History: From Bajhang Laborer to Nepal's First MFN Champion". Khoj Samachar. 3 August 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ Shrestha, Roshan (13 August 2025). "From Bajhang's Remote Village to MMA Glory: Rabindra Dhant's Journey". Pressenza. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ↑ (Video time: 33:33) Sanjay Silwal Gupta. On Air With Sanjay #367 - Diwiz Piya Lama And Rabindra Dhant. Retrieved 2026-05-28 – via YouTube.
{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Fighting out of Nepal, aiming for global MMA stardom". Online Khabar. 25 September 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "Rabindra Dhant: An aspiring MMA fighter". The Annapurna Express. 4 March 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "Rabindra Dhant Crowned MFN 17 Bantamweight Champion in Stunning Knockout Victory". Ratopati. 3 August 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "भारतीय प्रतिद्वन्द्वी नकआउट गर्दै रविन्द्र ढाँट च्याम्पियन". Setopati (in Nepali). 3 August 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "नेपालका रवीन्द्र ढाँट एमएफएन बान्टमवेट च्याम्पियन". Ekantipur (in Nepali). 3 August 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "PM Oli congratulates Bantamweight Champion Rabindra Dhant". The Rising Nepal. 3 August 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "नेपाललाई उपाधि दिलाउन सफल रवीन्द्रलाई हार्दिक बधाईः प्रधानमन्त्री ओली". Nagarik News (in Nepali). 3 August 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ Singh, Basanta Pratap (10 August 2025). "Rabindra Dhant shines on international MMA stage". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ↑ "Nepal's Rising MMA Force Rabindra Dhant Advances in Road to UFC Season 5". The Buzz Nepal. 1 April 2026. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
- ↑ Timothy Wheaton (31 March 2026). "Meng Bo, Machi Fukuda featured in stacked Road to UFC Season 5 brackets". LowKick MMA. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- ↑ "Road to UFC Season 5: Full Brackets Revealed for Asia-Pacific Tournament". lockerroom.in. 31 March 2026. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- ↑ Glamour Nepal (2026-04-11). "Opponent change! Rabindra Dhant now faces Kimbert Alintozon after Matty Iann withdrawal". glamournepal.com. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
- ↑ "Dhant enters semi-finals in UFC". The Rising Nepal. 28 May 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- ↑ Pandey, Pranav (28 May 2026). "Nepal's Rabindra Dhant Advances At Road To UFC Season 5 With Violent TKO Finish". LowKick MMA. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- ↑ "Rabindra Dhant advances to Road to UFC final after split-decision win". Online Khabar. 28 August 2026. Retrieved 29 August 2026.
- ↑ "Rabindra Dhant reaches Road to UFC season-5 final". The Rising Nepal. 28 August 2026. Retrieved 29 August 2026.
- ↑ "Rabindra Dhant". Sherdog. Retrieved 28 August 2026.