Nepali MMA star Rabindra Dhant has defeated previously unbeaten Kasib Murdoch to reach the bantamweight final of Road to UFC Season 5.
Nepali MMA star Rabindra Dhant has taken another major step toward UFC history, defeating New Zealand’s unbeaten Kasib Murdoch to secure his place in the bantamweight final of Road to UFC Season 5.
The semifinal took place on Friday in Shanghai, China, where Dhant, popularly known as the “Bajhang Ko Bagh,” overcame one of the toughest challenges of his professional career. Both fighters had officially weighed in at 135.5 pounds ahead of the bout.
With the victory, Dhant has now advanced to the Road to UFC Season 5 bantamweight final, putting him within touching distance of a potential UFC contract.
Under the tournament format, the winner of the final will have the opportunity to earn a multi-fight contract with the UFC, making Dhant’s next appearance one of the most significant fights in the history of Nepali mixed martial arts.
Dhant Ends Murdoch’s Unbeaten Run
Kasib Murdoch entered the semifinal with a perfect professional MMA record of 8–0, having never lost a professional fight.
Dhant, meanwhile, stepped into the bout with an impressive 10–1 record and growing momentum from his earlier performances in the tournament.
Murdoch was regarded as a difficult opponent because of his wrestling, grappling and boxing abilities. Dhant, on the other hand, has built his reputation around powerful striking, physical strength and his ability to finish fights.
Even before the semifinal, the matchup was widely viewed as one of the biggest tests of Dhant’s career.
By defeating the previously unbeaten Murdoch, the Nepali fighter has now moved one step closer to the world’s biggest MMA promotion.
Dhant’s Historic Road to UFC Journey
Dhant had already made a strong impression in the opening round of Road to UFC Season 5.
On May 28 at Galaxy Arena in Macau, he faced Filipino fighter Kimbert Alintozon and secured a second-round TKO victory.
Dhant finished the fight at 4:37 of the second round with strikes, earning his place in the semifinal.
His performance also drew strong support from Nepali fans inside the arena, with supporters chanting “Jai Nepal” during the event.
Following that victory, Dhant’s popularity grew further among MMA fans in Nepal as well as Nepali communities in Hong Kong and Macau.
One Win Away From a Potential UFC Contract
Road to UFC is more than a regular fight card. The tournament is designed to provide promising fighters from the Asia-Pacific region with a pathway to compete in the UFC.
For Dhant, reaching the final represents much more than another career milestone.
A victory in the final could open the door for a Nepali fighter to join the UFC roster through the tournament and mark an unprecedented moment for Nepal’s MMA scene.
After overcoming the previously undefeated Kasib Murdoch, Rabindra Dhant is now just one victory away from that opportunity.
Editorial Note: Rabindra Dhant’s semifinal victory has been confirmed. However, at the time of preparing this report, the UFC’s indexed official live-results page had not yet displayed the official method of victory, fight time or scorecard for the Dhant vs. Murdoch bout.
