Dricus Du Plessis secures unanimous decision over Kamaru Usman at UFC OKC
MMA Fighting • 2 min read • Latest: Jul 19, 2026, 3:17 AM
Last updated Jul 19, 2026
Dricus Du Plessis won a unanimous decision against Kamaru Usman at UFC Fight Night 281, held at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on July 19, 2026. Du Plessis showcased his striking ability, dealing significant damage throughout the fight. After losing his title to Khamzat Chimaev last August, this victory places Du Plessis back in contention within the middleweight division. Reactions from the MMA community emerged, highlighting Usman’s struggles and Du Plessis' dominating performance.
- •Du Plessis won by unanimous decision with 50-45, 49-46, 49-46 scores.
- •The match took place at UFC Fight Night 281 in Oklahoma City.
- •Du Plessis improves to 24-3 in his MMA career, 10-1 in the UFC.
- •Usman struggles throughout the fight, raising concerns regarding his performance.
- •After this fight, Du Plessis aims to re-enter the title picture in the middleweight division.
- 4:58 AMMMA Fighting — UFC Oklahoma City Post Show: Dricus du Plessis beat up Kamaru Usman, but what did it do for him?
- 4:58 AMYahoo Sports — UFC Oklahoma City Post Show: Dricus du Plessis beat up Kamaru Usman, but what did it do for him?
- 3:17 AMYahoo Sports — 'DDP sucks': Fighters react to Dricus Du Plessis beating Kamaru Usman at UFC OKC
"OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - JULY 18: Dricus Du Plessis of South Africa reacts after a victory against Kamaru Usman of Nigeria in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Paycom Center on July 18, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Dricus du Plessis got back in the win column, but where he goes from here is anybody’s guess. On Saturday night, the former middleweight champion added a rock-solid win to his resume, winning a wide unanimous decision over Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC Oklahoma City. But though it was a good win for “DDP,” du Plessis failed to make a statement over the smaller fighter, raising the question of whether that was good enough for him to get another crack at the middleweight belt? Following the UFC Fight Night card, MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew reacts to du Plessis’s win and where it puts him in the 185-pound pecking order. Additionally, Jed talks about where Usman goes from here, the rest of the UFC Oklahoma City Card, Johnny Eblen’s big win at PFL Austin, the marquee RAF results, and more. Watch the UFC Oklahoma City post-fight show above, or an audio-only version of the show can also be streamed below and on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your pods. View Link
"The MMA community reacted to Dricus Du Plessis' lopsided win over Kamaru Usman at UFC OKC – including some critcism.
"MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew reacts to UFC Oklahoma City and Dricus du Plessis’s win over Kamaru Usman.
Sources
External links- MMA FightingJul 19, 2026, 4:58 AMUFC Oklahoma City Post Show: Dricus du Plessis beat up Kamaru Usman, but what did it do for him?
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - JULY 18: Dricus Du Plessis of South Africa reacts after a victory against Kamaru Usman of Nigeria in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Paycom Center on July 18, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Dricus du Plessis got back in the win column, but where he goes from here is anybody’s guess. On Saturday night, the former middleweight champion added a rock-solid win to his resume, winning a wide unanimous decision over Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC Oklahoma City. But though it was a good win for “DDP,” du Plessis failed to make a statement over the smaller fighter, raising the question of whether that was good enough for him to get another crack at the middleweight belt? Following the UFC Fight Night card, MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew reacts to du Plessis’s win and where it puts him in the 185-pound pecking order. Additionally, Jed talks about where Usman goes from here, the rest of the UFC Oklahoma City Card, Johnny Eblen’s big win at PFL Austin, the marquee RAF results, and more. Watch the UFC Oklahoma City post-fight show above, or an audio-only version of the show can also be streamed below and on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your pods. View Link
- Yahoo SportsJul 19, 2026, 4:58 AMUFC Oklahoma City Post Show: Dricus du Plessis beat up Kamaru Usman, but what did it do for him?
MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew reacts to UFC Oklahoma City and Dricus du Plessis’s win over Kamaru Usman.
- Yahoo SportsJul 19, 2026, 3:17 AM'DDP sucks': Fighters react to Dricus Du Plessis beating Kamaru Usman at UFC OKC
The MMA community reacted to Dricus Du Plessis' lopsided win over Kamaru Usman at UFC OKC – including some critcism.
Original reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
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