Dricus du Plessis reflects on first loss in eight years

Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis fights for the first time since losing his title when he meets Kamaru Usman this Saturday at UFC Oklahoma City.

Du Plessis dropped the belt to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 last year in a wrestling-heavy performance that ended his eight-year unbeaten streak. The South African had not lost since a knockout defeat to Roberto Soldic in 2018, a run that carried him through multiple former champions and into the middleweight title picture. Now, 11 months removed from that setback, he returns at Paycom Center facing his first adversity in nearly a decade.

Why du Plessis chose Usman after Chimaev loss

The loss bothered him for weeks, he told UFC.com this week. "I absolutely hate it. I hate losing, I hate not being a champion," du Plessis said, per MMA Mania. "I'm a guy that's the best in the world — I deserve a title. I have to have that title." He called himself a terrible loser and promised to prove that Saturday night.

Du Plessis reportedly requested a wrestler for his comeback fight after Chimaev used grappling to shut down his offense. Usman fits that profile. The former welterweight kingpin built his title reign on wrestling and top control, and du Plessis wants to prove the Chimaev blueprint does not work twice. He told the promotion he has already beaten the division's best strikers — Sean Strickland twice, Israel Adesanya once — and needed to show he can handle elite grapplers.

Du Plessis sits at No. 2 in the middleweight rankings. A win over Usman, even an undersized former welterweight champion, would move him back toward a rematch with Chimaev. The fight airs live Saturday from Oklahoma City.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — UFC Oklahoma City’s Dricus du Plessis reflects on first loss in eight years – ‘I hate not being champion’