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Rabindra Dhant, 27, volition locomotion into the Galaxy Arena successful Macau connected May 28 and bash thing nary Nepali combatant has ever done: vie successful a Road to UFC tournament, 2 wins distant from a UFC contract.After trying for a fewer years, Dhant has got his large accidental with Road to UFC - a win-and-advance tourney offering apical MMA prospects from crossed Asia-Pacific a nonstop way to the UFC, and helium volition beryllium taking connected Kimbert Alintozon of the Philippines successful the Quarterfinals.
Ask him what it felt similar to beryllium selected for Road to UFC Season 5, and helium volition not springiness you the reply you expect."Indifferent," helium says, done his manager and interpreter Diwiz Piya Lama portion speaking to TimesofIndia.com.
"This is not the archetypal twelvemonth we tried. As a team, we had been pushing for this for astir apt the 2nd oregon 3rd twelvemonth running. So erstwhile it yet happened, it felt similar a measurement successful the close direction, but there's inactive a agelong mode to go. He's been putting the enactment successful the gym. It's a job. Just a occupation he's got to support doing."It’s a calm and measured response, adjacent though helium stands astatine the cusp of history. No Nepali has ever signed a UFC contract.
No Nepali combatant has ever competed astatine this level of the sport's planetary infrastructure. Dhant is, by immoderate measure, successful unprecedented territory for his country, yet erstwhile asked astir pressure, his effect remains unchanged."The questions are putting much unit connected him than the fight," Lama says, laughing. "He feels nary unit from the combat itself."The Making of Nepal’s Top MMA ProspectDhant’s travel to the doorsteps of UFC tells a batch much astir his mindset up of the biggest nighttime of his career.Coming from Bajhang, a colony successful far-western Nepal, wherever determination is nary visibility for the sport, Dhant has had a pugnacious and agelong travel that took him to India astatine a young age, doing manual labour, and an bureau occupation of serving beverage and cleaning. MMA was ne'er successful the picture, but karate grooming astatine unusual hours kept him going quietly, without household enactment oregon organization structure.The results, however, were thing but quiet.He went 15 fights unbeaten crossed Indian determination amateur circuits. He won the Indian National Amateur MMA Championship back-to-back successful 2019 and 2020, a feat that should person made him eligible for the World Amateur Championships.However, Nepal's MMA infrastructure astatine the clip was not equipped to nonstop a combatant to an planetary amateur competition. He had qualified, but helium simply could not go."It was a salty phase," helium says, done his manager and interpreter Lama.
"He had enactment successful the work, won 2 tournaments backmost to back, and it counted for thing connected the planetary stage."Then came a lucrative offer. Recognising his talent, helium was fixed a mode out: to presume Indian citizenship, vie internationally, and physique a vocation connected a much resourced platform. He turned it down. He decided to support his Nepali passport."Thank God helium didn't bash that," Lama says connected his behalf, breaking into a laugh.
"Right now, with wherever things stand, radical would person burned america alive."Diwiz Piya Lama: The Coach Who Backed HimLama, who has been Dhant’s dependable passim this interaction, has besides been his guiding light. A jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai practitioner based successful Kathmandu, Lama saw Dhant combat and decided to put successful him personally. Lama funded a grooming campy astatine the Fairtex Gym successful Thailand, covering the costs retired of his ain pocket.
It proved worthy his while.In September 2023, Dhant made his ONE Championship debut successful Bangkok, defeating Russia's Torepchi Dongak by TKO successful the 3rd round. He became the archetypal Nepali combatant to triumph a bout successful ONE Championship. Then successful August 2025, astatine Matrix Fight Night 17 successful Greater Noida, helium stopped unbeaten Indian bantamweight champion Chungreng Koren successful the 3rd circular to go the archetypal Nepali to triumph a large planetary MMA title."The triumph was much important than thing else," helium says, erstwhile asked astir the reception that followed - gathering the Mayor of Kathmandu, a currency reward, and recognition."If helium had lost, determination would person been nary President, nary Mayor, nary Minister. At the extremity of the day, it's the triumph and the task astatine hand. These broadside quests don't truly mean much."His archetypal opponent, Australia's Matty Iann, withdrew injured earlier the bout.
Filipino combatant Alintozon, a 7-3 bantamweight with six finishes connected his record, stepped successful connected abbreviated notice. Dhant's preparation, helium says, required nary melodramatic overhaul."He didn't bid truthful specifically for Matty that an full strategy needed to change. He did his owed diligence and kept doing what helium was doing. No drastic change."Despite the accolades, Dhant is grounded, and arsenic helium says, it’s a job. A triumph moves Dhant to the Road to UFC semifinals. Two wins present a UFC contract: the archetypal successful Nepal's history. So what does winning successful Macau connected May 28 mean to him?"A stepping chromatic towards what he's destined for."Watch Road to UFC (Day 1) - Round of 16 - Day 1 ( Rong Zhu vs. Martinez) connected May 28th 2026 astatine 3:30 PM IST unrecorded and exclusive connected Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD.
