Rabindra Dhant: Nepal’s First MFN Champion knocking on the UFC’s door

Rabindra Dhant is not just a fighter, but he is the warrior. He is the symbol of what happens when an ordinary village boy becomes the extraordinary man who refuses to accept the limit the world sets for them. Born in remote hills in Bajhang, Nepal, this 26-year-old boy, categorized in the bantamweight division, has done what no other Nepali athlete has been able to do yet. He claimed the International MMA championship title and earned his place in the Road to UFC Season 5.

Rabindra Dhant: The story of the Boy Who refused to Give Up

Rabindra Dhant was born on November 30, 1998, in Bitthadchhir Rural Municipality of Bajhang District, which is one of the most rural and underdeveloped districts in far-western Nepal. From Limited study, limited school, limited roads, and even more limited opportunities, Dhant carries himself that no amount of poverty can take away from him—an unbreakable desire to become somebody

At the age of 16, he left his home, his village, and his country and moved to India to search for a better opportunity. He got his first job as a manual laborer in Pithoragarh and again moved to New Delhi, where he worked as a cleaner and tea server in the office. It was during his struggle period and hardship that destiny introduced itself. One day on his way to the job, he noticed a martial arts gym; he walked in, and nothing was ever the same again.

Within the month of training, he discovered he was naturally gifted. He trained before work, after work, and late at night, and that dedication pays off, as he won his first MMA amateur championship at the age of 18 in India. After this champion he returned to Nepal and trained in Kathmandu.

Rabindra Dhant vs Chungreng Koren: The Night Nepal Stopped

On August 2, 2025, the big fight happens between Nepal’s Rabindra Dhant as the challenger and India’s Chungreng Koren as the champion. Koren has the five-fight streak and he was the favourite to win.

In the first round, both fighters tested each other. Furthermore, in the second round, few punches are exchanged between them. Then came the third round. Dhant gave the combination of punches, and Koren got knocked out in the third round. Rabindra Dhant becomes the new MFN Bantam weight champion that night. The boy from Bajhang made history.

Rabindra Dhant Age, Early Life, and the Road to MMA

Rabindra Dhant was born on November 30, 1998, making him 26 years old as of 2025. Despite his young age, he has already achieved what most fighters spend an entire career chasing. He grew up in Bitthadchir Rural Municipality of Bajhang District in Nepal’s Sudurpaschim Province—a region so remote that most people outside Nepal have never heard of it. However, it is precisely this environment of hardship and limitation that shaped the fighter he became.

His road to MMA began not in a professional gym with a qualified coach but in a small martial arts gym he discovered during his daily commute to work in Delhi. He started with karate, training early every morning before his work shift began. Additionally, he competed in his first amateur fights within just one year of training — a timeline that shocked everyone around him. Consequently, by 2019 he had won the MMA Amateur National Championship in India, announcing himself to the combat sports world in the most emphatic way possible.

Rabindra Dhant Next Fight: Who Is He Facing in 2026?

Rabindra Dhant’s next fight is one of the most anticipated bouts in Nepali sporting history. He is scheduled to compete in Road to UFC Season 5 on May 28, 2026, at the Galaxy Arena in Macau, China. Originally scheduled to face Australia’s Matty Iann in the bantamweight quarterfinals, the fight took an unexpected turn when Iann withdrew due to a serious knee injury sustained during training camp. As a result, Filipino fighter Kimbert Alintozon stepped in on short notice to replace him.

Rabindra Dhant Road to UFC: Nepal’s Greatest MMA Moment

The Road to UFC is the most prestigious MMA tournament in Asia—a win-and-advance competition where eight of the continent’s best fighters compete for the ultimate prize. A UFC contract. For context, the UFC is the biggest MMA organization on the planet, home to legends like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, and Jon Jones. Therefore, earning a UFC contract through Road to UFC. Season 5 would not just be a personal achievement for Rabindra Dhant — it would be a historic milestone for Nepal and the entire South Asian MMA community.

Moreover, what makes Rabindra Dhant’s Road to UFC journey uniquely special is the complete absence of institutional support behind it. No government funding. Just a fighter from Bajhang and a coach named Diwiz Piya who believed so deeply in this dream that he personally funded every training camp, every flight, and every preparation out of his own pocket. In the entire history of Nepali sport, there has never been a story quite like this one.