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JureliNewsBajhang, NepalOct 30, 2026By Jureli Editorial5 min read

Rabindra Dhant: Nepal's Road to UFC Finalist From Bajhang Faces Ryo Tajima in Sydney

From Deulekh, Bajhang to the Road to UFC final: Rabindra Dhant (11-1) faces Japan's Ryo Tajima for a UFC contract at UFC Fight Night Sydney on 7 February 2027.

Rabindra Dhant: Nepal's Road to UFC Finalist From Bajhang Faces Ryo Tajima in Sydney — JureliHub

Rabindra Dhant, a 27-year-old bantamweight mixed martial artist from Bajhang in far-western Nepal, is one fight away from a UFC contract. Dhant (11-1) meets Japan's Ryo Tajima (12-3) in the Road to UFC Season 5 bantamweight final on the preliminary card of UFC Fight Night Sydney at Afterpay Arena on Sunday, 7 February 2027 (Sydney time), UFC has confirmed.

Because of the time difference, the fight falls on Sunday, 7 Feb in Nepal and on Saturday, 6 Feb in the US (Eastern Time). UFC has not yet announced bout start times. We will add exact Nepal and US Eastern times here once they are published.

Latest

Updated Oct 30, 2026

  • Final confirmed: UFC announced on Oct 27, 2026 that the Road to UFC Season 5 finals will be on the UFC Fight Night Sydney prelims, with Dhant vs Tajima as the bantamweight final. The winner gets a UFC contract.
  • How he got here: Dhant beat Kimbert Alintozon by TKO in the quarterfinal (28 May 2026). He then beat New Zealand's Kasib Murdoch by split decision in the Shanghai semifinal (28 Aug 2026).
  • Still to come: bout order, start times and how to watch.

Rabindra Dhant at the MFN 17 weigh-in, August 2025 Photo: The Kathmandu Post (MFN 17 weigh-in, Aug 2025)

Who is Rabindra Dhant?

Dhant was born on 30 November 1998 in Deulekh, a remote village in Bajhang district, and grew up in Bitthadchir Rural Municipality. He is the middle son of Hare Dhant and Thepadi Devi and one of five siblings. He fights out of Kathmandu, where he trains under coach and backer Diwiz Piya Lama with Lock N Roll MMA and Soma Fight Club. Fans call him "Bajhang ko Bagh", the Tiger of Bajhang.

He pays for his younger siblings' schooling in Kathmandu, according to The Kathmandu Post.

Rabindra Dhant in Kathmandu, August 2025 Photo: Skanda Gautam / The Himalayan Times (Kathmandu, Aug 2025)

From labour in India to the cage

Like many young men from Bajhang, Dhant left for India as a teenager. Reports put his age at 15 or 16. He worked in Pithoragarh and later in Delhi. The Nepali outlet Shilapatra reported that at 17, carrying 180–190 kg electricity poles in Pithoragarh, the bones at the back of both his shoulders came out.

He started martial arts in India. He says he went 15-0 as an amateur and won Indian national amateur titles in 2019 and 2020. He also says he was offered Indian citizenship to fight for India and turned it down. JureliHub could not independently verify the titles or the offer.

A record of firsts

Dhant's professional record stands at 11-1, with eight wins by knockout or TKO, one by submission and two by decision. His only loss came against Ismail Khan at ONE Friday Fights 45 in December 2023.

  • September 2023: Became the first Nepali fighter to win in ONE Championship.
  • 2 August 2025: Knocked out India's Chungreng Koren in the third round at Matrix Fight Night 17 to win the MFN bantamweight title. The Kathmandu Post called him the first Nepali to win a title in an international pro MMA promotion.
  • August 2025: Honoured by President Ramchandra Paudel. Days later, the Cabinet approved a Rs 500,000 cash prize for Dhant and Rs 200,000 for his coach.

In an August 2025 interview, Dhant said neither he nor his coach had received government support. The Cabinet's Rs 500,000 award came after that. We found no reports of ongoing training support.

The semifinal

Against Murdoch, previously unbeaten, Dhant won a split decision. Some MMA outlets said the result would be debated. After the win he thanked fans, family and sponsors, and sent a message of solidarity to people affected by flash floods in Nepal.

FAQ

Who is Rabindra Dhant? A Nepali MMA bantamweight (11-1) from Deulekh, Bajhang, coached by Diwiz Piya Lama in Kathmandu.

When is the Road to UFC final? Sunday, 7 February 2027 in Sydney and Nepal; Saturday, 6 February in the US. Start times are not yet announced.

Who is he fighting? Ryo Tajima of Japan (12-3), in the bantamweight final.

What does the winner get? A UFC contract.

Where can I follow him? On Instagram at @rabindra_dhant1. For Nepali coverage of fight week, follow @jurelimedia.

Photo credits

  • Hero: Republica / likely Road to UFC media
  • The Kathmandu Post (MFN 17 weigh-in, Aug 2025)
  • Skanda Gautam / The Himalayan Times (Kathmandu, Aug 2025)

Sources