Dricus du Plessis says Kamaru Usman needed convincing to sign fight

Dricus du Plessis has claimed that Kamaru Usman initially resisted signing their UFC Oklahoma City headliner on July 18, alleging the promotion had to convince the former welterweight champion to accept the bout.

Du Plessis had been waiting weeks for confirmation of the matchup, publicly stating he'd been offered the fight and was awaiting his opponent's signature. The main event announcement came late, but du Plessis has now revealed the behind-the-scenes resistance. "He didn't want to sign the contract. I know that for a fact," du Plessis said in an interview with Fight Forecast. "I spoke to the UFC and they said, 'We finally convinced him to sign.' If you need convincing to sign, that's a problem, but I can't blame him. I would also not want to fight me right now."

Despite Usman's apparent hesitation and being a couple of years removed from his dominant title reign, du Plessis respects the Nigerian-American's threat level. He cited recent performances by Usman's teammate Justin Gaethje—who defeated younger challenger Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250—as evidence that age alone doesn't diminish elite fighters' danger. Du Plessis views the Usman fight as a stepping stone toward another title run. He acknowledged interest in other opponents like Nassourdine Imavov but remains focused on Usman as the fight that propels him back into championship contention.