Dricus du Plessis vs. Kamaru Usman
UFC Fight Night · July 18, 2026 · Paycom Center
OddsDricus du Plessis -205·Kamaru Usman +170(DraftKings)
Dricus du Plessis def. Kamaru Usman — Decision (unanimous), R5 5:00
The prediction leaned du Plessis, but the fight was more one-sided than anyone drew it up. His improved takedown defense — the biggest statistical hole on his record — shut down Usman's wrestling almost entirely, and his awkward switch-stance striking, including a left question-mark kick (a low-kick feint that flips up to the head) and knees to the body, had Usman on wobbly legs several times across rounds one, two, and four. Scores of 50-45 and 49-46 twice told the story, and the two former champions still earned Fight of the Night.
The breakdown below was written before the fight.
If Usman commits to wrestling, du Plessis's takedown defense gives him rounds — but holding down a man this frantic for 25 minutes at 39 is a cardio bet Usman hasn't cashed since 2021. More likely Usman tries to box, and that's where du Plessis's awkward volume and constant threats accumulate. Expect du Plessis to survive early control, drag Usman into deep water, and either take a clear decision or find a late stoppage. Usman's path is a masterclass of jabs and top position — real, but narrower.
The Matchup
Both men lost their belts, both lost to Khamzat Chimaev, and only one gets to stay in the title picture. The stylistic fault line is du Plessis's 34% takedown defense — the worst statistical hole of any elite middleweight — against a career wrestler. But Usman's late-career game is patient boxing, not five-round mauling, and du Plessis's chaos has broken more disciplined strikers than him. Pace is the other axis: du Plessis throws himself into every round like it's the last one; Usman at 39 wins by controlling tempo. Whoever imposes their speed of fight wins.
Tale of the Tape
| Dricus du Plessis | Kamaru Usman | |
|---|---|---|
| 23-3 | Record | 21-4 |
| 32 | Age | 39 |
| 6'1" | Height | 6'0" |
| 76" | Reach | 76" |
| Switch | Stance | Switch |
| South Africa | Country | Nigeria |
| Team CIT (Pretoria) | Team | Kill Cliff FC / Onx Sports |
The Numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
Dricus du Plessis
“Stillknocks”
The first South African UFC champion — he took the middleweight belt from Sean Strickland in January 2024 and defended it twice, submitting Israel Adesanya and outpointing Strickland in the rematch. Khamzat Chimaev ended the run with a one-sided smothering at UFC 319, his first loss since 2018. Nobody fights like him: ugly on purpose, always moving forward, and 20 of 23 wins by finish. This is his rebuild fight, off an 11-month layoff.
- LKhamzat Chimaev · Decision (unanimous)UFC 319 · August 16, 2025
- WSean Strickland · Decision (unanimous)UFC 312 · February 8, 2025
- WIsrael Adesanya · Submission (rear-naked choke), R4 3:38UFC 305 · August 17, 2024
Kamaru Usman
“The Nigerian Nightmare”
Former welterweight champion with five title defenses and the division's record 15-fight UFC win streak — once the pound-for-pound No. 1. An NCAA Division II national champion wrestler polished into a suffocating jab-and-clinch boxer under Trevor Wittman. He snapped a three-fight skid by handling Joaquin Buckley in June 2025, and at 39 makes his full-camp middleweight debut. His only fight at 185 was a short-notice majority-decision loss to the same Chimaev who beat du Plessis.
- WJoaquin Buckley · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley · June 14, 2025
- LKhamzat Chimaev · Decision (majority)UFC 294 · October 21, 2023
- LLeon Edwards · Decision (majority)UFC 286 · March 18, 2023