It was a match thousands of Nepalis who grew up hearing stories of Gurkha bravery were looking forward to. A Nepali man from remote Bajhang had been stunning the MMA world by beating one opponent after another. When he knocked out India’s previously unbeaten champion, Chungreng Koren, in August last year, he became the first Nepali to claim an international MMA title. He then became a household name in the country slowly getting familiar with MMA.

“Mero kadhma chha Nepal ko bojh,” the rapper Vyoma had sung a month before that fight in the song titled ‘Dhant Shot’. “Hami baseko ho Gorkhali aama ko kokh.” [I‘m shouldering the whole Nepal’s burden. We were born from Gorkhali mothers’ wombs.]

Rabindra Dhant’s next stop was the Road to UFC debut. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion in the world. When Dhant took on the Philippine opponent Kimbert Alintozon on Thursday, few would have thought that Dhant, a mystery fighter representing Nepal, would steal the show on Day 1 of the two-day ‘Road to UFC-Season 5’.

There were 10 fights scheduled at Galaxy Arena in Macau, China, on Thursday. And it was Dhant vs Kimbert Alintozon that was the loudest.

Hundreds of Nepali fans based in Hong Kong and Macau had reached the venue to support Dhant, Nepal’s most accomplished MMA fighter. “Galaxy Arena erupted from the moment Dhant entered the venue,” said Suhang Limbu, who had taken a one-and-a-half-hour bus ride to Macau from Hong Kong. “It was a great feeling to see Dhant dominate the fight from the very beginning.”

Limbu had travelled to Macau from Hong Kong with his wife Rojina Sampang Rai. “It was so amazing to see a Nepali fighter win at such a big stage,” he told the Post over the phone.

Dhant defeated Alintozon with a technical knockout in the second round. Dhant was the favourite in the three-round fight.

“After Dhant won, Galaxy Arena was almost half empty [for later bouts] as Nepali fans started leaving,” Limbu shared. “We had already witnessed a match that was worth our money.”

Dhant and Alintozon spent most of their fight on the mat as both were either trying to grapple the other or aiming to ground and pound.

The fight was intense from the beginning, and the two seemed to be running low on fuel in the second round.

While Dhant dominated most of the fight, he was also on the receiving end of the punches. However, the punches that Alintozon packed were not sufficient to trouble Dhant.

“You can listen to what it means to his [Dhant’s] supporters,” a commentator said as the arena erupted after Dhant was adjudged the winner.

Words of appreciation poured in for ‘Bajhang ko Baagh’ (The tiger from Bajhang), as Dhant’s is affectionately called.

From Nepal Police to Minister for Education and Sports Sasmit Pokharel and former men’s cricket team skipper Paras Khadka to artists from different backgrounds—all took to social media to congratulate Dhant for the historic win.

And how big a craze there was for Dhant’s fight among Nepali supporters could also be seen in the views and reactions on posts and videos by the UFC on its social media handles.

“Jay Nepal. Jay Hanuman,” Dhant roared in the post-fight talk. “Jay Nepal,” responded hundreds of fans at Galaxy Arena.

It meant more to Dhant and his team than what he could express. “Wooo!” Dhant’s coach Diwiz Piya exclaimed when he translated Dhant’s statements after the win.

“The number of individuals who turned out for the screening of Dhant’s match was unprecedented,” said one of the organisers of the watch party at Moksh, a restaurant in Lalitpur.

The organisers of the screening at Moksh had levied Rs500 each for interested individuals, and there were hundreds of Nepali MMA fans in attendance. “The money collected will be used for the betterment of the Nepali MMA,” the organiser added.

A hall of Moksh was filled with Dhant supporters. The roof of the hall erupted whenever Dhant exploded with punches. And when they left the hall, they were all full of praise for the way Dhant was developing as an MMA idol in the country.

And not just Moksh. Many eateries across the country hosted a live screening of Dhant’s match. There were many who were seated at their homes in groups to watch Dhant’s fight on television. And they all cheered as one when Dhant won with around 23 seconds left in the second round.

Dhant’s fixture with Alintozon, who replaced Australian Matty Iann after he withdrew from injury, was a quarterfinal match of the bantamweight division. After the win, Dhant has advanced to the semifinals, where he will face Australian Kasib Murdoch.

The dates for the semifinals are yet to be announced.

“I have my eyes set on the next match,” Dhant said after the win.

Japan’s Ryo Tajima and India’s Chungreng Koren are competing in the other semifinal match. Tajima defeated Ti Hatiao of China, while Koren emerged victorious over Japan’s Ryuho Miyaguchi.

If Dhant defeats Murdoch and Koren defeats Tajima, it will be the much-awaited rematch between Dhant and Koren. Dhant had defeated Koren in India and lifted the Bantamweight title at Matrix Fight Night-17 in August last year. Dhant now has a professional MMA record of 10 wins and a loss.

Dhant’s win in the final would also mean that he will become the first Nepali to get an official UFC contract.

And for a Nepali crowd taking pride in the fighting prowess of the Gurkhas, Dhant’s arrival on the UFC world stage would reaffirm a belief.

“Seeing a large group of happy Nepalis with Nepali flags and dhaka topi was a great experience,” as Limbu, the fan residing in Hong Kong, put it after Dhant’s thumping win on Thursday. “We are returning to Hong Kong with a smile, and our heads held high.”