Dricus du Plessis Beats Kamaru Usman in UFC Oklahoma City Return

Dricus du Plessis beat Kamaru Usman by unanimous decision at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, taking the cards 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46 to win his first fight since losing the middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev in August 2025. The five-round main event was not for a belt, but it put du Plessis back in the middleweight picture and sent a still-dangerous Usman back down a weight the former welterweight champion had climbed to chase one more marquee night.

Du Plessis controlled the fight the way he usually does, ugly and relentless. He wobbled Usman with clubbing strikes and knees in the opening two rounds, hurt him again in the fourth, and never let the former champion settle into the fight he wanted.

How the Main Event Played Out

Usman moved up to 185 pounds for this one, and the size did not buy him the answers he needed. Du Plessis pressured from the first bell, mixing pace with awkward, heavy strikes that repeatedly caught Usman flush. The one card at 50-45 tells the story of a fight that was closer to a shutout than a coin flip, even as Usman's takedown threat kept it competitive on the other two scorecards.

The bout took Fight of the Night honors, a nod to the pace both men set even without a finish. For du Plessis, the win is a clean reset after the Chimaev loss cost him the belt, and it hands him leverage in a division where the title picture is set to move.

The Rest of the Card

The co-main event delivered another decision, with Christian Leroy Duncan outpointing Jared Cannonier 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 to run his winning streak to five and log the biggest result of his career. On the main card, Chase Hooper snapped a two-fight skid in style, submitting Mitch Ramirez with a rear-naked choke at 2:15 of the first round. Fatima Kline swept Tabatha Ricci on all three cards in the women's strawweight bout.

Betting Impact: The Favorite Held, But Not With a Finish

Du Plessis was the chalk and he delivered, but the manner matters for anyone who bet the method. He opened around -205 at DraftKings with Usman +170 in the days before the fight (DK Network, July 18), so a straight du Plessis moneyline cashed at a modest number. The decision, though, cooled two popular plays: du Plessis inside the distance and any live parlay leaning on a stoppage from a fighter who had finished so much of his prior work.

Usman plus the underdog price and Usman by decision both lost, but the fight going the full 25 minutes was itself a live outcome that paid on the over on total rounds. Hooper's first-round submission, by contrast, rewarded under and finish bettors on the undercard, and Duncan over Cannonier extended a run that has quietly become one of the better middleweight bets in the promotion. As always, price method-of-victory props off a fighter's recent tendencies, not just the moneyline, because du Plessis by decision is a very different ticket than du Plessis to win.

What to Watch Next

The obvious next move is a title conversation. The UFC floated a possible trilogy bout with current middleweight champion Sean Strickland, a fighter du Plessis has already beaten twice, as one of several options going forward, though nothing is booked. Usman's path is murkier after a second straight setback in a heavier bracket, and the question is whether he stays at 185 or drops back toward the division where he ruled.

Chad AI tracks every fight-night moneyline, method-of-victory and round prop inside the StatSniper app, feeding the UFC daily picks page, the AI sports picks hub and the Chad picks hub. For how we saw it coming, read our du Plessis vs Usman odds preview. Full official results are at UFC.com.

FAQ

Who won du Plessis vs Usman at UFC Oklahoma City? Dricus du Plessis won by unanimous decision, taking the cards 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46 over Kamaru Usman in the five-round main event.

Was du Plessis vs Usman a title fight? No. It was a non-title middleweight main event. Du Plessis lost the middleweight belt to Khamzat Chimaev in August 2025, and this was his first fight back.

What was the co-main event result? Christian Leroy Duncan beat Jared Cannonier by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) for his fifth straight win.

Who is next for Dricus du Plessis? Nothing is official, but the UFC pointed to a possible trilogy with middleweight champion Sean Strickland, whom du Plessis has beaten twice, among his options.

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