Dricus Du Plessis: Kamaru Usman was reluctant to sign contract for UFC Oklahoma City

Dricus Du Plessis claims Kamaru Usman needed convincing to accept their upcoming middleweight bout at UFC Oklahoma City, a matchup that Du Plessis views as essential to his path back to title contention. Speaking to Fight Forecast, the former middleweight champion said the UFC informed him that "we finally convinced him to sign," adding that while he understands Usman's reluctance, he remains confident in the fight's significance.

Du Plessis sees the bout as an opportunity to address the wrestling and grappling concerns that emerged during his recent loss to Khamzat Chimaev. Usman, widely regarded as one of the greatest welterweights of all time alongside Georges St. Pierre, brings elite wrestling credentials to the middleweight division. Du Plessis noted that Usman's résumé—including a victory over Sean Strickland and a competitive fight with Chimaev—made him the ideal opponent to test his improvements in areas beyond striking.

"What's it going to mean for me to go out there and beat another striker? I've done that many times," Du Plessis explained. "I want to go out there and prove what I've done, go and figure this out, and show the problem that the middleweights have on their hands now because now I am more complete." By facing a dominant grappler rather than another striker, Du Plessis aims to demonstrate that he has evolved into a well-rounded fighter capable of competing in all areas—a progression he believes will earn him another title shot.