Du Plessis accuses unsigned opponent of stalling his UFC comeback fight

Dricus du Plessis has gone public with his frustration over a stalled fight announcement, accusing an unnamed opponent of dragging his feet on signing a contract — with Kamaru Usman the widely rumoured target.

In a cryptic Instagram post on Tuesday, the former UFC middleweight champion wrote: “A little someone agreed to a fight but actually signing the dotted line isn’t that easy when you know you’re just signing for a show purse.” He added that the delay was entirely on the other side: “From my side it’s been signed and sealed for a while.”

Du Plessis stopped short of naming Usman directly, and no official announcement has been made. Recent reports have linked the two fighters to a 185-pound headliner at UFC Oklahoma City on July 18, which would mark Usman’s second middleweight appearance in the UFC.

The South African has not competed since losing his title to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 last August — a defeat that ended a remarkable nine-fight unbeaten run inside the promotion. During that stretch, du Plessis claimed the middleweight belt with wins over Sean Strickland in two title fights, and delivered finishes of former champions Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker.

Usman, meanwhile, built his legacy as one of the dominant welterweights of his era, winning the 170-pound title in 2019 and defending it five consecutive times. After a difficult stretch that saw him lose three straight, the Nigerian Nightmare returned to form with a unanimous decision victory over Joaquin Buckley in June 2025.

Should the fight be formalised, it would pit a former champion looking to reclaim relevance at a new weight class against a former champion hungry to recapture the title he recently lost. Du Plessis’ pointed Instagram post suggests he, at least, is ready to get things moving.