Former champion Usman steps up to middleweight to face du Plessis at UFC Oklahoma City

Dricus du Plessis makes his return to the octagon against former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC Oklahoma City on July 18 at the Paycom Center. The UFC announced the matchup on Saturday night, marking the promotion’s first event in Oklahoma City in nearly a decade.

Du Plessis last competed in August 2025, when he lost the middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319. Before that defeat, the South African had assembled an impressive reign: he claimed the belt by defeating Sean Strickland at UFC 297 in January 2024, defended it against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in August 2024, and beat Strickland again in a rematch at UFC 312 in February 2025.

Usman, meanwhile, arrives at 185 pounds with momentum after snapping a near four-year winless run. The former welterweight king earned a dominant decision over Joaquin Buckley at UFC Atlanta in June 2025 — his first victory since 2021. It is not his first time at middleweight; he stepped in on short notice at UFC 294 in October 2023 and dropped a competitive decision to Chimaev, the same man who would later dethrone du Plessis.

For Usman, a win over a former middleweight champion would place him squarely in title contention at 185 pounds and open the door to becoming a two-division UFC champion. For du Plessis, the bout represents a chance to re-establish himself as the division’s top contender after surrendering the belt he worked three title fights to hold.