Kamaru Usman is done waiting for a welterweight title shot that never came. Instead, the former 170-pound king moves up to middleweight to face Dricus Du Plessis at UFC Fight Night on 18th July, inside Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. This is a massive statement fight — and both men know exactly what’s at stake.
Usman Moves Up to Middleweight After Welterweight Title Snub
Usman (21-4) spent months pushing hard for a welterweight title opportunity against Islam Makhachev, only for the UFC to book Makhachev’s first 170-pound title defence against Ian Machado Garry in August. Rather than sit and stew at welterweight, the 39-year-old made the bold call to move up a division entirely. It’s a gutsy move, but then again, this is Kamaru Usman — gutsy is his default setting.
Interestingly, Usman carries some useful history into the middleweight world. He holds a unanimous decision win over current middleweight champion Sean Strickland, back in April 2017 when both men were grinding through the welterweight ranks. That connection adds another layer of intrigue should Usman perform well here.
Du Plessis Looks to Bounce Back After First UFC Defeat
On the other side of the cage stands Dricus Du Plessis (23-3), a man who blazed through the UFC at 9-0 before losing a five-round decision to Khamzat Chimaev in August 2025 — his first career defeat inside the Octagon. Before that setback, the 32-year-old South African had defended the middleweight championship twice between 2024 and 2025. He remains ranked No. 2 in the division and carries no shortage of motivation heading into this one.
Furthermore, Du Plessis has previous with Chimaev. Back in October 2023, he stepped in on short notice and pushed Chimaev hard, losing only a three-round majority decision as a significant underdog. The man thrives under pressure — that much is well established.
As ESPN noted at the time, Du Plessis’s willingness to take that short-notice bout said everything about his character. Now, with Usman coming up in weight and hungry to prove he still belongs at the elite level, Oklahoma City on 18th July is shaping up to be an absolute war. Don’t sleep on this one.
