Du Plessis vs. Usman set for UFC Oklahoma City main event

Former middleweight champions Dricus Du Plessis and Kamaru Usman will meet in the UFC Oklahoma City main event, the promotion announced Saturday.

The 185-pound clash headlines UFC Fight Night 281 at the Paycom Center and streams in full on Paramount+, per a Sherdog report. Both fighters held UFC gold before recent setbacks altered their championship trajectories.

Du Plessis returns after Chimaev loss

Du Plessis has been out since August, when Khamzat Chimaev took his middleweight belt via lopsided decision at UFC 319. The South African had run through nine consecutive Octagon wins before that defeat, collecting scalps that included two over Sean Strickland plus Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson and Darren Till.

Usman last fought in June, when he outpointed Joaquin Buckley in a UFC on ESPN 69 headliner. Speculation that the Nigerian would challenge Islam Makhachev for lightweight gold never materialized. Usman captured the welterweight crown by beating Tyron Woodley at UFC 235, defended it five times, then lost it to Leon Edwards in August 2022 before eventually moving up to middleweight.

The card takes place June 21, 2026.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Former middleweight champions to collide in UFC Oklahoma City main event