Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis is set to return on Sat., July 18, 2026, headlining UFC Oklahoma City against former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
The matchup pits du Plessis, the No. 2-ranked middleweight, against Usman, who is moving up from welterweight in the main event of UFC Oklahoma City. Du Plessis lost his middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 last year.
"Yeah, so I haven’t lost in quite some time — eight years — and I kind of forgot how it felt," du Plessis said. "Now, I know exactly why. I absolutely hate it. I hate losing, I hate not being a champion. I’m a guy that’s the best in the world — I deserve a title. I have to have that title. When I lost it, it made me realize why I wanted to become champion in the first place and why I will do it again."
Before the defeat to Chimaev, du Plessis had not lost in eight years, dating back to a knockout loss to Roberto Soldic. During that run, he entered the UFC, defeated multiple former champions and captured the middleweight belt.
Now he says Usman is exactly the kind of opponent he wanted. "When I heard the name Usman, I was firstly excited because this brings a wrestler, which is where I want to prove I’m the best in the world," du Plessis said. "What does it prove to go and beat another world-class striker? I’ve beaten the best — I beat Sean Strickland twice, I beat Israel Adesanya. I wanted to prove myself against a world-class wrestler in this fight."
