Dricus Du Plessis reflects on UFC comeback after Usman win

Dricus Du Plessis rediscovered what drives him after a lopsided decision over Kamaru Usman at UFC Oklahoma City on Saturday.

The former middleweight champion, fighting for the first time since losing his belt to Khamzat Chimaev last summer, swept the scorecards 50-45, 49-46, 49-46 in a five-round main event against the former welterweight titleholder. Du Plessis controlled the opening two rounds before Usman rallied briefly in the third and fifth, but the South African never lost his grip on the fight.

Du Plessis on 11-month layoff and Octagon return

Speaking after the bout, du Plessis told reporters that extended time away from competition can blur the memory of what fighting inside the cage actually feels like. The 11-month gap between bouts, he said, made stepping back under the lights all the more meaningful. "Especially when you are away for that kind of time, you almost forget what it's like to be there, dancing under the lights," du Plessis said, per Sherdog. "But man, tonight I just walked out there again and I realized… This is what I live with… This is what this is about… This is why I started this game."

Du Plessis added that the pressure of performing in front of a packed arena brings out his best work. "I loved going out there and fighting, but more than that, I loved competing," he said. The win puts him back in position to challenge for the middleweight strap he lost to Chimaev nearly a year ago.

Usman, who moved up from welterweight for the bout, dropped to 21-5 with the loss. Du Plessis improved to 23-3 and is expected to enter title talks when the UFC finalizes its middleweight schedule later this year.

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• Sherdog — Dricus Du Plessis had a message after big UFC comeback win