Du Plessis beats Usman by unanimous decision in Oklahoma City
Dricus Du Plessis returned from an 11-month layoff with a points win over Kamaru Usman in the UFC Fight Night middleweight main event.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
2 min read
Dricus Du Plessis won his first UFC appearance in nearly a year, taking a unanimous decision over Kamaru Usman in the middleweight main event at UFC Fight Night in Oklahoma City, Reuters reported. The result put the South African back in the win column after the loss that ended his long UFC unbeaten run and cost him the middleweight title.
According to Reuters, the judges scored Saturday’s bout 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46 for Du Plessis, who improved to 24-3 in mixed martial arts. Usman, the former UFC welterweight champion from Nigeria, dropped to 21-5.
Du Plessis, 32, had not fought since Khamzat Chimaev stopped his run of nine straight UFC victories, Reuters reported. Chimaev still holds the middleweight belt, according to Reuters, after Du Plessis’ title reign ran from January 2024 until mid-August last year.
After the fight, Du Plessis tied his comeback to the expectations placed on him at home. “I had to get up,” he said, according to Reuters. “There’s so many South African kids that look up to me. It’s bigger than me. I can’t go lie down.”
Du Plessis controls a stand-up fight
The bout stayed on the feet, with Reuters reporting no completed takedowns and no submission attempts. Du Plessis showed little sign of the layoff in the striking exchanges, finishing ahead 139-99 in total strikes.
Reuters reported that Du Plessis also led 136-92 in significant strikes landed. That volume gave him enough separation across five rounds to win on all three scorecards, including one shutout card.
For Usman, 39, the defeat prevented him from building on a previous win, Reuters reported. He was fighting for the first time in 13 months and has now lost four of his last five bouts, according to Reuters.
Usman held the UFC welterweight championship from March 2019 to November 2021, Reuters reported. His move into this middleweight main event brought him against a recent champion who needed a strong result after losing his belt.
Duncan wins co-main event
In the middleweight co-main event, England’s Christian Leroy Duncan defeated Jared Cannonier by unanimous decision, Reuters reported. Duncan moved to 15-2 in MMA, while Cannonier fell to 18-10.
The judges scored that fight 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 for Duncan, according to Reuters. The result gave the Oklahoma City card another middleweight decision before Du Plessis closed the night with his return win.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.