Rabindra Dhant beats Murdoch in Shanghai, moves one step closer to the UFC cup

As Nepal remains in the midst of the global attention following the tragic glacial flood, a piece of positive news from the sporting world offers some much-needed relief. Nepalese bantamweight MMA star Rabindra Dhant, popularly known as ‘Bajhang ko Baagh,’ on Friday defeated New Zealand’s Kasib ‘Murder’ Murdoch by split decision at Road to UFC Season 5 in Shanghai, China.

A win for a grieving nation: Rabindra Dhant advances to Road to UFC final

For about three months, Nepalis had been waiting for a sweet revenge. After defeating Japan’s Yunosuke Minami, Kasib took to social media with an indirect but unmistakable jab. He posted a photo of himself on Instagram holding Nepal’s national flag, captioned with a line along the lines of, “The King of Nepal is coming to Shanghai.”

The message appeared to be aimed at Rabindra as a calculated piece of banter that borrowed Nepal’s own flag to make a larger statement. Now the tables have turned and oh so beautifully. Rabindra didn’t respond to the banter at that moment but made it legendary inside the cage. 

In his semi-final winning speech, Rabindra expressed gratitude to his supporters and delivered an emotional message to those affected by disasters back home in Nepal

About the fight

The much-anticipated bantamweight semifinal between Rabindra and Kasib lived up to the hype, unfolding as a fiercely contested 15-minute battle in Shanghai, with both fighters enjoying their share of momentum and strong moments. 

Following the win, Rabindra will now be up against Ryo Tajima in the bantamweight final. With this he has stepped a little closer to the UFC contract. Now, if he wins the championship, and emerges as the champion of eight man, single elimination tournament then he will secure himself the UFC contract.

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