If there’s anyone who could be the next big thing in Nepali MMA, it’s Yuki ‘The Gurkha’ Angdembe. He is poised to follow Rabindra Dhant to become the next Nepali fighter on the Road to UFC.

Born in Damak, Nepal, and raised in the United Kingdom, Angdembe has been training at the Bali-based Soma Fight Club for about five years now. He was in fact the one who introduced Dhant to the gym in Bali.

With his bantamweight counterpart Dhant one fight away from becoming the first Nepali to get an official contract of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Angdembe is already on the same road. To further cement his chance towards the UFC, Angdembe needs to win as many matches as he can. Angdembe’s campaign is set to start on Saturday, with his upcoming fight at the Jue Cheng King (JCK), a Chinese MMA promotion.

Angdembe is facing China’s Buhuogubu ‘The Yi Eagle’ at JCK-123 in Lüliang, Shanxi, on one of the main cards.

Angdembe has a professional MMA record of eight wins and three losses, while Buhuogubu has a pro record of 10 wins and seven losses.

Angdembe is on a winning streak—having defeated Indonesia’s Yacub Christ Nugroho at Soma Fight Series in February and India’s Mandeep Prajapati at Matrix Fight Night-18 in March. Buhuogubu, meanwhile, has lost his last three fights—all at JCK.

Speaking to the Post last month, Soma’s head MMA coach, Youssef Wehbe, shared that Angdembe was disciplined and dedicated to the sport.

“If we see Yuki, he started MMA far earlier than Rabindra,” Wehbe said. “Rabindra is now ahead of Yuki. But Yuki does not seem bothered with it—he keeps on pushing Rabindra during training while improving his skills side by side.”

As per Tapology, an MMA database, Angdembe had an amateur record of seven wins and two losses before turning professional in December 2021. He lost his debut professional fight, but then delivered a four-match winning streak.

Wehbe also did not hesitate to say that Angdembe could get a slot at the next season of the Road to UFC.

Dhant’s coach Diwiz Piya has also, in several instances, praised Angdembe’s might, saying he is great in wrestling and grappling and identifying the best moment to deliver punches and kicks to the opponent.

Of his eight wins, Angdembe has won five by KO/TKO, two by submission and one by judges’ decision.

“The Gurkha is ready for JCK Fight Night 123,” Angdembe posted an edited photo of himself, wrapped in a Nepali flag and holding a khukuri, on Thursday. His caption read, “2 more sleeps.”