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Kamaru Usman has nothing left to lose. At 39, the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ is set to fight the riskiest bout of his career: moving up to middleweight (-84 kg) to take on Dricus Du Plessis in the main event of UFC Oklahoma, taking place overnight from Saturday to Sunday at the Paycom Centre in Oklahoma City. A win would put him on the brink of a second UFC title. A defeat, and it’s likely the end of the dream.
The native of Auchi, Nigeria, experienced the dizzying heights of success before hitting rock bottom. Fifteen consecutive victories between 2015 and 2021, a welterweight title won and then defended five times – a reign that seemed eternal. Then, on 20 August 2022, Leon Edwards’ high kick knocked him out with just seconds remaining in a fight he had been in complete control of. It was one of the most memorable knockouts in the history of the sport. Two further defeats followed. Usman disappeared from the spotlight for over a year and a half.
The native of Auchi, Nigeria, experienced the dizzying heights of success before hitting rock bottom.
His comeback, on 14 June 2025 against Joaquin Buckley, was reassuring: the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ still knows how to give the best a run for their money. But at 39, time is running out. Moving up a weight class to face a 32-year-old former middleweight champion – heavier and more powerful – is a gamble that borders on recklessness. Or genius.
Du Plessis, the pride of ‘Stillknocks’
On the other side of the cage, Dricus Du Plessis finds himself in an equally uncomfortable situation. Before 16 August 2025, the South African was undefeated in the UFC: nine fights, nine wins, including three title victories. A force of nature who could pick any lock. Until he faced Khamzat Chimaev.
The Chechen neutralised him, dominated him and stifled him for five rounds. His first defeat in the UFC. His first real blow. Du Plessis (23-3) must now prove he can bounce back. And what better way to do so than by facing an opponent whose kryptonite is precisely Chimaev’s strong point: top-level wrestling?
For Usman is a former national second-division champion in American collegiate wrestling. An elite wrestler capable of neutralising the South African’s raw power. At Friday’s weigh-in, Du Plessis tipped the scales at 185.5 pounds (84.1 kg), whilst Usman weighed in at 186 pounds (84.4 kg). Both men are ready. The face-off has, in fact, raised some concerns: the difference in build between the former welterweight and the natural middleweight is striking.
Imavov’s position under threat
This fight is more than just a duel between two former champions. In the race for the middleweight title, currently held by Khamzat Chimaev, France’s Nassourdine Imavov is currently the number one contender. But the winner of the Usman–Du Plessis bout will shake up this pecking order. The UFC loves redemption stories, and Saturday night’s winner will have everything it takes to win over Dana White.
Usman, for his part, has his sights set higher: joining the ‘champ-champ’ club, the eleven fighters who have held titles in two different weight classes in the organisation’s history. “In my mind, I feel like I’m already among the top five fighters in history, but the ‘double champions’ club is the one I’m not yet part of,” he confided. The Nigerian knows that, at 39, he has only one shot left at the title.
For Du Plessis, the stakes are different but just as crucial. A second consecutive defeat would put him out of title contention for the long term. At 32, the South African is in his prime: now is the time for him to prove that Chimaev was merely a blip.
In Oklahoma City, overnight from Saturday to Sunday, one of the two will write a new chapter. The other may have to turn the page. The fight promises to be one of the most intriguing of summer 2026.