Nepal’s Dhant facing Australia’s Sutcliffe in NWC-3 main event

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, May 25: Rabindra Dhant, a Nepali Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter, is facing Australia’s Korey Sutcliffe at the main event of the third season of the Nepal Warriors Championship (NWC) on Saturday. The ring has been set up at Thamel-based Lord of Drinks (LOD).

According to the organisers, Dhant and Sutcliffe are competing in the bantamweight division. Dhant is the first Nepali to fight in ONE Championship, an MMA tournament organised by ONE, one of the world’s largest martial arts organisations. He got the opportunity to take part in the tournament after winning the main event in the second season of NWC.

Dhant became popular in Nepal after he defeated Russian fighter Torepchi Dongak while debuting in the ONE Championship. Dhant’s first professional loss came in December 2023 when he lost to a Pakistani fighter in the Championship.

Before the fight, the two fighters met in the staredown on Thursday where the duo expressed their determination to win the fight. 

Tapology, a website focused on MMA, states that Sutcliffe is a less experienced fighter than Dhant. While Dhant has participated in seven professional fights, the faceoff against Dhant will be the third for the Australian fighter.

Sutcliffe has won one and lost the other in his two professional fights. He lost to Xavier Franklin, a fighter from the USA, in July 2023 and won against Mateo Gonzalez, another USA fighter, in February 2023.

Other fights

Before the fight between Dhant and Sutcliffe starts on Saturday, audiences will be warmed up by eight other fights.

In the second main event, Sunny Khatri of Pokhara and Bishal Sahu of Sikkim, India, are fighting in the pro bout. Meanwhile, the seven other fights are in amateur bouts.   

Rahul Thakuri vs Sonam Wangchuk, Karma Gurung vs Kon Jarbin, Manish Chhetri vs Chaman Sherpa, Nabaraj Parajuli vs Sonam Sherpa, Niraj Budhathoki vs Sunil Pun, Jenit Sherchan vs Asbeen Chhetri and Norbu Tamang vs Jordan Tendhar are the seven fights in the amateur division.

The fighters in the co-main event and amateur division hail from Pokhara, Kathmandu and Sikkim, India.