Du Plessis coach dismisses Usman foul claims after UFC OKC win

Dricus Du Plessis coach Morne Visser has dismissed Kamaru Usman's suggestion that an eye poke affected the middleweight clash at UFC Oklahoma City last weekend, calling the claim nonsense.

Du Plessis outpointed Usman over three rounds in the Paramount+ headliner, his first appearance since losing the 185-pound title to Khamzat Chimaev last summer. Usman told reporters after the fight that a thumb to the eye early on blurred his vision and made it difficult to time the South African's rangy strikes. He also noted that Du Plessis was a big, strong opponent whose size complicated matters once his depth perception was compromised.

Visser explains bizarre composed gameplan

Visser told Submission Radio the strategy was to keep Du Plessis calm throughout and avoid chasing a finish, even when Usman appeared hurt. The coach said he saw the Nigerian recover quickly from heavy shots multiple times and warned his fighter that a desperate opponent coming back from damage was dangerous. Visser added that Du Plessis was out on his feet a couple of times but bounced back fast enough to stay in the fight.

"I am super, super happy with our results," Visser said, per MMA Mania. "I think this is the best I've seen Dricus ever. This was a high pressure fight. I mean, this was our comeback fight after 10, 11 months off."

Visser confirmed Du Plessis could have pushed for a stoppage when Usman was complaining about the alleged foul but chose to stay respectful instead. The coach noted his fighter listened to instructions and never forced the action once during the bout.

Du Plessis moved to 24-3 with the decision but may not be next in line for a title shot. That picture depends on what the UFC plans to do with current champion Sean Strickland, who reclaimed the belt at UFC 328 earlier this year.

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• MMA Mania — Dricus Du Plessis coach reveals bizarre gameplan for UFC OKC, shoots down ‘nonsense’ claims of Kamaru Usman fouls