Dricus du Plessis overwhelms Kamaru Usman in UFC Oklahoma City main event

Dricus du Plessis delivered a dominant performance to defeat Kamaru Usman via unanimous decision at UFC Oklahoma City on Saturday night, outworking the middleweight champion across all three rounds.

Du Plessis, the former UFC middleweight champion making his case for another title shot, showcased his entire arsenal en route to convincing scorecards of 50–45, 49–46, and 49–46. The South African fighter controlled the center from the opening bell, landing heavy striking combinations, high kicks, and well-timed knees while maintaining solid defensive wrestling against Usman's sporadic takedown attempts.

Usman, competing up from welterweight, struggled to find range against du Plessis's footwork and was visibly hurt on multiple occasions, particularly in the second round when du Plessis landed standing knees and cut open his eye. While Usman showed flashes of offensive rhythm and landed his push kick consistently, he was unable to stem du Plessis's output or mounting damage. The champion survived the onslaught and mounted a late push in the fifth round, but it proved too little to overtake du Plessis's early dominance.

After the loss, Usman acknowledged having an off night, attributing the defeat to rare poor performance rather than fundamental gaps. He indicated openness to future competition at middleweight or welterweight but did not announce any immediate plans.

Du Plessis, meanwhile, called for another crack at current UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland, whom he has previously defeated twice in his MMA career. "I'm back in the winner's circle. Let's get my belt back," du Plessis said in the post-fight interview, setting his sights firmly on reclaiming gold.