Road to UFC Season 5 — Bantamweight Final
Rabindra Dhant vs Ryo TajimaRoad to UFC final — date to be announced (expected early 2027)
Rabindra Dhant fights Japan's Ryo Tajima (12-3) in the Road to UFC Season 5 bantamweight final. UFC has not set the date yet — it says the finals are early next year, and Season 4's finals were on 1 February 2026 at UFC 325 in Sydney, five months after its August semifinals. He got there by beating Kasib Murdoch by split decision at the Oriental Sports Center, Shanghai on Friday, 28 August 2026 — the first loss of the New Zealander's career, Dhant to 11-1, and the first Nepali fighter ever in a Road to UFC final. One more win is a UFC contract. The day the card is announced this page gets the Nepal time, a walkout estimate and every Kathmandu screening.
Kata Jaam doesn't stream the fight. We list the bars and cafés in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur and Pokhara that put it on the projector, so you can pick one and go. To stream it yourself, Road to UFC is on UFC Fight Pass.
One email the day UFC confirms the card, one on fight day with the Nepal time.
Updated · the date goes here the day UFC announces it
Twenty-odd bars, cafés and sports lounges across Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Pokhara put the semifinal on the projector, most of them free to walk into, and the popular ones were full by the opening bout. The final will be bigger. As soon as UFC dates the card, venues confirm their screenings here — each one listed with its Nepal time and price — and you won't need Fight Pass or the timezone maths.
Streaming at home instead? See how to watch Road to UFC in Nepal. For other match nights, the live sports screenings page tracks football and cricket all year, and tonight in Kathmandu has everything else on the same night.
Where to watch Rabindra Dhant vs Ryo Tajima
The final isn't dated yet. Bars confirm screenings once UFC announces the card (expected early 2027). Get the app alert below, or ask your local sports bar to list theirs the day the date drops.
How to watch Road to UFC in Nepal
UFC Fight Pass is the official worldwide stream and takes Nepali sign-ups; the final will be on it live, and the Nepal time goes at the top of this page once the card is announced. UFC has also streamed Road to UFC on its official YouTube and Facebook pages in selected Asian markets, and Sony Sports carried the opening rounds in India — check ufc.com/road-to-ufc on the day for what is live in Nepal. The bars above are the zero-effort option: projector, sound, and a room full of people who know who Rabindra Dhant is.
Latest on Rabindra Dhant vs Ryo Tajima
- In camp at Soma Fight Club in Bali for the final, under head coach Youssef Wehbe, with Yuki Angdembe in the same gym. As of that day UFC had not named a date or a venue for the Season 5 finals.
- Named brand ambassador for Bajaj's Pulsar NS motorcycles in Nepal by Hansraj Hulaschand & Co.
- Beat Kasib Murdoch by split decision in Shanghai to reach the Road to UFC Season 5 bantamweight final. UFC said the finals "will take place early next year".
Who is Rabindra Dhant?
Rabindra Dhant is a 27-year-old bantamweight from Bajhang in far-west Nepal, fighting out of Kathmandu with Lock N Roll MMA and Soma Fight Club. His record is 11-1 with eight knockouts. In August 2025 he knocked out Chungreng Koren to win the Matrix Fight Night bantamweight title — the first Nepali to win a belt in a professional MMA promotion — and in May 2026 he became the first Nepali to win a Road to UFC bout, stopping Kimbert Alintozon with punches in the second round of their quarterfinal in Macau. On Friday, 28 August 2026 he beat the previously unbeaten Kasib Murdoch by split decision in Shanghai to become the first Nepali in a Road to UFC final.
Ryo Tajima (12-3) is a rangy Japanese bantamweight from Saitama who beat Chungreng Koren by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) in the other semifinal on the same Shanghai card, after a split-decision win over China's Ti Haitao in his quarterfinal — the same Koren that Dhant knocked out for the Matrix Fight Night belt. Nepal versus Japan: a volume striker against a power puncher, for a UFC contract.
Rabindra Dhant's full record, his story and his next fight →
Road to UFC Season 5 semifinal results
Opener first. Oriental Sports Center, Shanghai · Friday, 28 August 2026. Results from ufc.com.
- 1BoHyun Park vs Farida AbduevaWomen's strawweight semifinalPark by unanimous decision
- 2Ryo Tajima vs Chungreng KorenBantamweight semifinal · Dhant's final opponentTajima by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- 3Dagiisuren Chagnaadorj vs YoungJae SongFeatherweight semifinalChagnaadorj by rear-naked choke, R1 2:51
- 4Takaya Suzuki vs Joseph LarcineseFlyweight semifinalSuzuki by TKO, R3 0:15
- 5Meng Bo vs Machi FukudaWomen's strawweight semifinalMeng by split decision
- 6Kasib Murdoch vs Rabindra DhantBantamweight semifinal · Nepal's fightDhant by split decision
- 7Ahejiang Ailinuer vs George MangosFeatherweight semifinalMangos by rear-naked choke, R2 2:03
- 8Yilizhati Maimaitijiang vs Treston VinesUFC middleweight (co-main)Split draw
- 9Maheshate vs Darrius FlowersUFC lightweight (main event)Maheshate by guillotine, R1 2:31
Get the fight-night alert
The Kata Jaam? app pings you when Kathmandu bars confirm screenings for the final — and every big match after it.
Frequently asked questions
Did Rabindra Dhant win?
Yes. Rabindra Dhant beat Kasib Murdoch by split decision in the Road to UFC Season 5 bantamweight semifinal at the Oriental Sports Center, Shanghai on Friday, 28 August 2026, handing the New Zealander the first loss of his career. Dhant moves to 11-1 and becomes the first Nepali fighter to reach a Road to UFC final.
When is the Road to UFC Season 5 final?
Not announced yet. UFC says the Season 5 finals take place early next year, so expect early 2027; Season 4's finals were on 1 February 2026 at UFC 325 in Sydney, five months after its August semifinals. The moment the card is confirmed this page gets the Nepal time and every Kathmandu screening — the Kata Jaam? app sends an alert the day the first bar lists one.
Who does Rabindra Dhant fight in the final?
Ryo Tajima, a 12-3 bantamweight from Saitama, Japan. He beat Chungreng Koren by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) in the other semifinal on the same Shanghai card, after a split-decision win over China's Ti Haitao in his quarterfinal. The winner of the final gets a multi-fight UFC contract, which would make Dhant the first Nepali fighter ever signed to the UFC.
What time will the Road to UFC final be in Nepal?
Not set until UFC announces the card. Past finals have run on UFC pay-per-view and Fight Night cards — Season 4's at UFC 325 in Sydney, which is 5¼ hours ahead of Nepal, so an evening card there lands in the afternoon here. The exact Nepal time and a walkout estimate go at the top of this page the day the card is announced.
Where can I watch the Road to UFC final in Kathmandu?
The bars that screened the semifinal — Time Out Sports Cafe in Kumaripati, The Roof in Lalitpur, Calm Tangalwood in Naxal, Sake & Feng in Lazimpat, Moksh in Jhamsikhel, Maslow Cafe in Balkumari, plus two in Pokhara — filled up for a semifinal, and a final with a UFC contract on the line will be bigger. Venues confirm once the date is public; every screening is listed on this page with its Nepal time and price, and the Kata Jaam? app alerts you when the first one lands.
How can I watch Road to UFC online in Nepal?
Road to UFC streams worldwide on UFC Fight Pass, which accepts Nepali sign-ups. UFC has also put Road to UFC cards on its official YouTube and Facebook pages in selected Asian markets and Sony Sports carried the opening rounds in India, so check ufc.com/watch on the day for what is live in Nepal. The surest option is still a bar with the projector up — the atmosphere is the point.
What happens if Rabindra Dhant wins the final?
He signs a multi-fight UFC contract and becomes the first Nepali fighter in the UFC. No Nepali has ever competed there; Dhant is already the first to win a Road to UFC bout, the first to reach a final, and the first Nepali to win a title in a professional MMA promotion (Matrix Fight Night, 2025).
Is it free to watch the fight at bars in Kathmandu?
Mostly, yes — the majority of the screenings listed here are free to walk into, you just buy your food and drinks. A few venues charge a small cover or ask for a minimum spend to hold a seat, and those show a price on their listing. For the popular sports lounges it is worth messaging ahead: a Nepali fighter fighting for a UFC contract will fill rooms.
Screening the fight at your bar?
List it free in two minutes — over 27,000 people used this page to find a screening for the semifinal, all looking for somewhere to watch Rabindra Dhant.
Free to list. No credit card required. How listing works