CONFIRMED | Dricus du Plessis to fight ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ Kamaru Usman in July
· The South African
South Africa’s former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis will return to the octagon on Saturday, 18 July when he takes on former welterweight king Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC Fight Night 281 in Oklahoma City.
The bout marks a crucial moment in Du Plessis’ career as he looks to rebound from the first UFC defeat of his professional career.
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Lost last octagon fight
Dricus du Plessis has not fought since losing the middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in August 2025.
The 32-year-old South African entered that contest riding an 11-fight winning streak and boasting a perfect 9-0 record in the UFC, but saw his championship reign come to an end after a dominant performance from Chimaev.
The defeat halted a remarkable rise that saw Du Plessis become one of South Africa’s biggest sporting stars and a leading figure in the UFC’s middleweight division.
Move back up to middleweight
Standing across from him in Oklahoma City will be one of the sport’s most accomplished champions.
Usman, nicknamed ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’, is a former UFC welterweight titleholder.
He will move up to middleweight for the contest.
The Nigerian-American has not competed since defeating Joaquin Buckley by unanimous decision in June last year and has been targeting one final run at championship glory before retirement.
The 39-year-old enjoyed a dominant spell as welterweight champion, successfully defending his title five times between 2019 and 2021.
His only previous appearance at middleweight came against Chimaev, where he pushed the unbeaten contender all the way before suffering a narrow majority-decision defeat.
Another title run?
For Du Plessis, victory would immediately place him back in the conversation among the division’s elite and potentially set up another run towards championship contention.
With both fighters eager to prove they remain among the UFC’s best, the clash promises to be one of the most intriguing matchups of the year.
The Oklahoma City event will also feature a middleweight showdown between Jared Cannonier and Christian Leroy Duncan, while Kevin Holland takes on Jacobe Smith in a welterweight bout.
All eyes, however, will be on Du Plessis as South Africa’s former champion looks to begin the road back to the top.