When was the last time the whole of Nepal got fired up about a match that didn’t involve a ball?
Well, brace yourself — because this Saturday, August 2, it’s not bat vs ball or goalpost vs goalpost.
It’s fist vs fist, nation vs nation, and Nepal’s Rabindra Dhant is stepping into the cage to take it all.

This isn’t just any fight — this is the main event of Matrix Fight Night 17 (MFN 17), and it’s a title bout. The belt is on the line, and India’s Chungreng Koren stands in the opposite corner. But Rabindra isn’t walking in alone — he’s walking in with millions of hopes behind him.

At just 26 years old, Rabindra Dhant has already carved out a reputation as Nepal’s fiercest MMA warrior. Standing 5’9” with an 8–1 record, he doesn’t just win — he finishes. His last few fights have been nothing short of brutal symphonies of ground-and-pound dominance, leaving no doubts and no decisions to judges.

Fighting out of Lock N Roll MMA, Rabindra’s journey is anything but ordinary. With limited resources, raw grit, and a dream bigger than his weight class, he has fought his way up from local gyms to the brightest lights in South Asian MMA. And now, under those lights, the bantamweight championship waits.

His opponent? India’s very own “Indian Rhino” Chungreng Koren — a 27-year-old brawler with a nearly identical 7–1 record and a dangerous streak of five consecutive wins. A beast in his own right, Koren is known for early stoppages, tight chokes, and relentless pressure. On paper, this fight is dead even. In the cage? It’s going to be chaos.

And just when you thought this couldn’t feel more cinematic — it has a soundtrack.

A banger by 5:55 called “Speed” has been repurposed into a visual love letter to Rabindra’s journey.

Then comes “Dhant Shot” — a brand-new anthem by Vyoma, written specifically for the fighter. It’s not just a song; it’s a war cry. I hope to hear it blasting through the speakers during his walkout.

Nepal has never had an MMA fighter hyped up like this before. This feels different. This feels big.

So what is Matrix Fight Night and why is it a big deal?

Founded in 2019 by Tiger Shroff, Krishna Shroff, and Ayesha Shroff, Matrix Fight Night is India’s leading MMA promotion — think of it as the IPL of the MMA scene in India. It’s the same platform that gave India’s Anshul Jubli and Puja Tomar the chance to make it to the UFC.

Over the years, MFN has gone from Mumbai to Dubai and beyond — hosting 16 high-stakes fight nights and becoming the biggest stage for South Asian MMA talent to shine. And on Saturday, August 2, it’s back for its 17th edition — live from Greater Noida, streaming on JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar.

The event kicks off at 6:00 PM IST, which is 6:15 PM Nepali Time — so plan your Saturday night around it, because you don’t want to miss this.

You know something’s huge when Amitabh Bachchan tweets about it.

For Rabindra, this fight is more than a belt. It’s proof that talent from Nepal — raw, real, and relentless — can rise to the biggest stages. That a kid from a small village with a fire in his chest can make the whole world watch.

It’s not just Nepal vs India — it’s every dreamer vs every doubt. And if Rabindra Dhant raises that belt on August 2, it’s a win for all of us.

Let’s bring it home, champ.