Du Plessis dominates Usman on points in one-sided UFC main event - ESPN

Dricus Du Plessis reinforced his status among the middleweight elite, putting on a clinic in a brilliant unanimous decision victory over Kamaru Usman on Saturday night in a UFC Fight Night main event at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.

In a battle of former champions, Du Plessis' power and volume of strikes overwhelmed Usman, and he kept that pressure up for nearly all five rounds, rocking Usman several times and never really allowing him to get back into the fight. The judges scored the bout 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46 for Du Plessis.

«You guys deserve fights like these, not guys lying on top of other guys to get some dumbass decision win,» Du Plessis said to the crowd in his postfight Octagon interview. «Thank you, Kamaru Usman, for bringing the best out in me, and thank you for giving your life up over so many years to entertain these fans.

»I'm back in the winner's circle, baby. Let's get my belt back."

Du Plessis (24-3) returned to the Octagon for the first time since losing his middleweight crown in a five-round decision to Khamzat Chimaev in August 2025. It was Du Plessis' first loss in the UFC after starting his career in the Octagon 9-0, including two title defenses. He is still ranked No. 2 in the division.

Du Plessis, who has two wins over current champion Sean Strickland, said he feels like he should be next in line and called for a trilogy.

«I said a win wouldn't get me a title shot, but damned if a performance like that would give me a title shot,» Du Plessis said.

Usman (21-5), a former longtime welterweight champion, spent the first half of this year campaigning hard for a title shot against 170-pound champion Islam Makhachev. But he opted to move up to face Du Plessis after the UFC booked Makhachev's first