Du Plessis restores form with unanimous decision over Usman in Oklahoma City
UFC Fight Night results show Dricus Du Plessis overcoming Kamaru Usman via unanimous decision, while Christian Leroy Duncan wins co-main event
South African mixed martial artist Dricus Du Plessis secured a unanimous decision victory over Nigeria’s Kamaru Usman in the middleweight main event of UFC Fight Night in Oklahoma City. The judges scored the bout 50-45, 49-46, and 49-46 in favour of Du Plessis, marking a decisive return to competition for the 32-year-old.
Du Plessis had not fought since losing the middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev in August 2025. He described the victory as a necessity driven by responsibility to his home country, stating, “I had to get up. There’s so many South African kids that look up to me. It’s bigger than me. I can’t go lie down.”
The contest was contested entirely upright, with neither fighter securing a successful takedown or submission attempt. Du Plessis controlled the striking exchanges, finishing with a 139-99 edge in total strikes and landing 136 significant strikes compared to Usman’s 92.
Usman, 39, entered the bout after a 13-month layoff and has now lost four of his last five fights. The former UFC welterweight champion from March 2019 to November 2021 was unable to secure a second consecutive win in his first appearance since the previous year.
In the co-main event, England’s Christian Leroy Duncan defeated Jared Cannonier via unanimous decision. The judges scored the bout 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28 in favour of Duncan, who improved his record to 15-2, while Cannonier fell to 18-10.
