Dricus du Plessis returned to winning ways with a unanimous decision victory over Kamaru Usman in UFC Oklahoma City’s main event, the former middleweight champion weathering a late surge from the legendary Nigerian to claim 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46 decision victory in a tactical battle that never quite caught fire.
Du Plessis entered ranked No. 2 in the division, seeking redemption after losing his championship in his previous outing. Usman, last seen in June 2025, moved up from welterweight chasing a second divisional title in what promised to be a compelling clash of former champions desperate to reignite their careers.
South African establishes dominance early
The opening round belonged entirely to du Plessis, who took the centre of the Octagon and systematically found his range whilst Usman circled cautiously on the outside. The South African’s right hand landed repeatedly, getting the former welterweight king’s attention and establishing a pattern that would define the first half of the contest.
Du Plessis connected with stiff jabs when Usman attempted to close distance, though the Nigerian briefly found success clinching and targeting the body before a low blow paused proceedings.
Knees hurt Usman in crucial second frame
Round two proved decisive. As Usman closed distance seeking a wrestling advantage, du Plessis met him with a knee that visibly hurt the 39-year-old. The South African unloaded combinations, landing another knee before Usman desperately sought a takedown that du Plessis circled away from.
A devastating counter right hand caused Usman to stumble to the canvas, though he quickly recovered. When Usman thought he’d been eye-poked, replays confirmed it was a clean punch, the kind of precision striking that separated the fighters throughout.
Usman absorbed heavy shots before finally enjoying his best moment of the round with a brief takedown that du Plessis immediately escaped.
Championship rounds see momentum shift
The third round represented Usman’s best work, landing clean right hands and briefly controlling du Plessis on the canvas, though he couldn’t maintain top position. The fourth frame slowed considerably, both fighters landing sporadically as fatigue crept into proceedings.
The final round saw Usman surge desperately. After du Plessis missed a jumping knee and committed another low blow, Usman found another gear. Hard right hands landed, combinations connected, and du Plessis’ output declined alarmingly as the former welterweight champion pressed forward seeking a miraculous finish.
But the early rounds proved insurmountable. When scorecards were announced, du Plessis had claimed unanimous decision victory to bounce back from championship heartbreak whilst Usman’s ambitious middleweight experiment ended in disappointing defeat.
For du Plessis, the path back towards title contention reopens. For Usman, the question now is whether dropping back to welterweight represents the wisest career move at 39 years old.
