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Rabindra Dhant left Nepal for India as a teenager in search of work. After years of manual labour and struggle, he is now inching closer to becoming a UFC athlete.
News18
Hailing from a remote village in Nepal’s far-western Bajhang district, Rabindra Dhant’s journey into mixed martial arts was unplanned. It though was shaped by an unshakable belief that life could become something bigger.
Now, the 27-year-old bantamweight stands on the verge of history as the first Nepali fighter to compete in the Road to UFC tournament, where a string of wins could earn him a UFC contract.
But long before the bright lights of Macau and the possibility of global recognition, Dhant was just another teenager leaving home in search of work.
“I grew up in my hometown of Bajhang and studied there until Grade 10,” Dhant said. “After that, I moved to Uttarakhand for work, and later to Delhi, where I did manual labour jobs. It was in Delhi that I got introduced to MMA. Somehow, that journey has now brought me here. It’s been a fun journey.”
There is little romanticism in the way Dhant talks about hardship. He describes his childhood as “simple”, but hidden beneath that simplicity was a fight for survival.
“I never thought I would become a fighter,” he said. “I was just trying to survive. But somehow, in a mysterious way, I found myself competing for a UFC contract. I guess it was survival instinct that turned me into a fighter.”
Born in 1998, Dhant moved to India from Nepal as a teenager – first to Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand and then to Delhi, where he worked odd jobs in offices and did whatever was necessary to earn a livelihood.
The uncertainty of migrant life stayed with him, but so did ambition.
“There wasn’t pressure exactly, but there was uncertainty like how I would earn money, take care of my family back home, and build a future,” he recalled. “At the same time, I also wanted to become famous. I wanted people to know who I am. That’s one of the reasons I became a fighter.”
At the time, MMA wasn’t a dream but an opportunity, maybe the only one available to leave his daily struggles behind.
“Having options was a luxury, and I didn’t have any,” he said. “I just wanted to fight and make money because I was tired of doing manual labour jobs. Fighting felt like the best way to do that.”
Dhant’s entry into combat sports came through karate training sessions in Delhi as he tried to balance work with his growing ambition. The resources available were limited, and there was almost no support system around him.
He says there were no coaches guiding him in the beginning, no proper training partners, and no one to fuel his ambition.
“In the beginning, it was only me,” he said. “I believed in myself and pushed myself forward. I didn’t have coaches or training partners. I mostly watched YouTube videos and trained myself through pure self-belief and internal motivation.”
His professional MMA debut came in 2019, when he defeated Pardeep Singh by TKO in New Delhi. Since then, Dhant has quietly built an impressive record in South Asian MMA. He currently holds a 9-1-0 professional record of which seven wins came via knockout.
His rise accelerated through regional promotions in India and Nepal before he broke into larger Asian stages. He competed in ONE Friday Fights in Bangkok and later earned a stoppage win over China’s Eqiyuebu at Brave CF 93 in April 2025.
One of the defining moments of his career came at Matrix Fight Night 17 in August 2025, when he knocked out India’s Chungreng Koren in the third round to become the first Nepali fighter to win an MFN championship.
Dhant speaks about success with the perspective of someone who has experienced deprivation firsthand.
“I’ve seen real struggle in life,” he said. “I’ve seen people worried about how they’ll put food on the table for their families. Compared to that, what is MMA?”
“I’ve slept hungry before. Today I’m eating well. I’m eating blueberries, for God’s sake!” he adds.
For Dhant, gratitude has become his defence against self-doubt.
“I look around at how many people in Nepal and India are still living below the poverty line, and it reminds me to stay grateful. That deep sense of gratitude is what pushes me through dark days and self-doubt. When I think about real struggle, there’s no room left to doubt myself,” he said.
When he began fighting, Nepal barely had an MMA ecosystem. Fighters often had to leave the country to gain experience, training, or opportunities.
“When I started, there was almost no MMA scene in Nepal,” he said. “I hope that with the momentum we’re building now, there will be more promotions and more opportunities for young Nepali fighters to compete within Nepal and India.”
“In my time, I had to move to Delhi just to get amateur fights and experience. I hope my journey can help create more opportunities and competition for the younger generation inside Nepal itself,” he added.
The journey now continues to Macau.
Dhant is scheduled to face Filipino fighter Kimbert Alintozon in the opening round of Road to UFC Season 5 after an opponent change due to injury. The tournament represents the biggest opportunity of his career so far, offering a direct pathway into the UFC.
“MMA is the most unpredictable sport in the world,” he said. “I’ve studied Kimber carefully, and I’m fully prepared. Right now, I’m completely locked in on the task at hand, and nothing else matters.”
Watch Road to UFC – Round of 16 – Day 1 (Rong Zhu vs. Martinez) on May 28th 2026, at 3:30 PM IST live and exclusive on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD
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