Dricus du Plessis blames opponent for UFC fight delay
Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis says his next fight has stalled because his opponent will not sign the contract.
Du Plessis posted to Instagram on Tuesday that "a little someone agreed to a fight but actually signing the dotted line isn't that easy when you know you're just signing for a show purse," per MMA Fighting. He added that the deal has been "signed and sealed for a while" on his end.
Is Kamaru Usman the holdup for du Plessis?
The South African did not name names, but recent reports have linked him to a July 18 bout with former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman at UFC Oklahoma City. Nothing has been announced. Du Plessis last competed in August, when he dropped his title to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319, ending a nine-fight promotional winning streak that included finishes of Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker.
Usman, who held the welterweight strap from 2019 through five defenses, has fought once at middleweight and recently stopped a three-fight skid with a decision over Joaquin Buckley last June. "Sorry people the announcement is taking longer than expected," du Plessis wrote.
The UFC has not confirmed a main event for the Oklahoma City card.
Photo: MMAnytt / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Original reporting:
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