Du Plessis Dominates Usman At UFC Oklahoma

Dricus du Plessis defeated Kamaru Usman at UFC Oklahoma City.

The South African used a dynamic striking arsenal of knees, power punches, and high kicks to put Usman in survival mode repeatedly across five rounds. By the time the judges' scorecards were collected, there was little doubt about the verdict: (50-45, 49-46, 49-46).

Usman showed the heart that has defined his career, absorbing punishment that would have finished most fighters and continuing to press forward, but the former welterweight champion never found a way to change the dynamic.

The decisive factor in the later rounds was Du Plessis's adaptability. He found a way to read Usman's movements and respond with a different counter each time, preventing any rhythm from developing on the other side. Usman, primarily a puncher, was left perpetually guessing what was coming next — a knee when he expected a punch, a kick when he expected neither. The unpredictability kept him off-balance and compromised his stability in moments that mattered.

Du Plessis earns his first UFC victory since defending the middleweight title against Sean Strickland in 2025, a win he needed after the loss to Khamzat Chimaev that stripped him of the belt.

The performance against Usman, dominant in nature and coming against a fighter who has rarely been put in that much trouble, makes du Plessis's case for a title shot straightforward. He made it himself afterward, pointing directly at Strickland as the fight he wants.

Whether the UFC moves in that direction or opts for a different contender to face Strickland next is the remaining question. The number two ranking and a dominant main event performance are typically sufficient to make the case. Du Plessis has made his preference known.