Dricus Du Plessis rocks Kamaru Usman for unanimous decision win at UFC Oklahoma City

Dricus du Plessis dominated former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman over five rounds to claim a unanimous decision victory at UFC Oklahoma City, positioning himself as a top middleweight contender following his title loss to Khamzat Chimaev last year. Du Plessis established control from the opening bell, landing a left high kick that hurt Usman early and forcing the former welterweight champion to chase while absorbing strikes at unfavorable range.

The first two rounds heavily favored du Plessis as he landed repeated knees to Usman's jaw, cut open his eye, and maintained relentless pressure. While Usman attempted takedowns to disrupt du Plessis' rhythm, they proved unsuccessful and unable to swing momentum. Round 3 became more measured with both fighters showing fatigue, though du Plessis again appeared to have the advantage when Usman came up short on his biggest swings. A takedown with one minute remaining offered Usman only temporary relief before du Plessis escaped to his feet.

Sensing he was too far behind on points, Usman opened Round 4 with aggressive combinations and takedown attempts, but du Plessis countered with a left high kick that wobbled him badly. Despite recovering and hurting du Plessis with a right hand late in the round, the damage had accumulated decisively. Both proud former champions brought maximum effort to the final frame, with du Plessis landing another head kick while Usman flurried desperately to the horn. The judges awarded the win to du Plessis by scores of 50-45, 49-46, and 49-46.

In the co-main event, Christian Leroy Duncan earned a three-round decision over longtime middleweight contender Jared Cannonier. Duncan, facing a fighter 12 years his senior and visibly smaller, exploited his speed and reach advantage, though Cannonier countered effectively with a sneaky takedown game developed over recent years. The judges scored it 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28 for Duncan, extending his winning streak to five straight. Chase Hooper returned to winning form with a submission victory over Mitch Ramirez in just 2:15, earning a rear-naked choke after excellent back-control positioning, though he missed weight and the bout was contested at catchweight. Rising strawweight Fatima Kline dominated Tabatha Ricci across three rounds, outclassing her in every aspect with superior grappling highlighted by high-amplitude takedowns and top control.