Dricus du Plessis is determined to prevent the legendary Kamaru Usman from achieving two-division glory in the UFC before the latter retires.
Usman wanted to reclaim the welterweight title in 2026 by dethroning Islam Makhachev and then move up once more to middleweight in pursuit of two-division glory.
But the matchmakers had other plans. Makhachev is going to defend his strap in August at UFC 330 against Ian Machado Garry. Before that, Usman, who is moving up to 185 pounds, will take on former champion Dricus du Plessis in the main event of UFC Oklahoma City on July 18.
Dricus du Plessis ready to ruin Kamaru Usman’s two-division UFC dream
At 39 years old, “The Nigerian Nightmare” has no time to waste and will only seek meaningful bouts that will get him closer to a title shot.
Kamaru Usman will be looking to secure a statement win over former 185-pound titleholder “Stillknocks” before potentially earning a shot at the UFC middleweight title, currently held by Sean Strickland. However, the South African won’t let Usman have the fairy tale ending to his UFC career. During a recent interview with Fight Forecast, he said:
“I expect him [Kamaru Usman] to come with that physicality like he always does. I’m the most physical guy in the division. I do know Kamaru is going to bring the best out of me. We have made sure that I’m the best I’ve ever been. The motivation is there for him to go win this fight, get a title fight, and ride off into the sunset with an amazing career, but I’m not going to let that happen.”
Check out Dricus du Plessis’ comments below:
Usman vs. Du Plessis is expected to be a wrestling-heavy affair if “Stillknocks” fails to keep the bout standing. However, this high-stakes clash will also allow the South African fighter to show how much his ground game and takedown defense have improved since losing the middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev last year.
If Du Plessis can defeat “The Nigerian Nightmare,” he will have his name firmly in the mix for another title shot, which would mean a trilogy fight with “Tarzan,” whom he has already beaten twice.
