Kamaru Usman next fight announced in new division against former UFC champion

Kamaru Usman has been booked to face Dricus du Plessis in the main event of UFC Oklahoma City on July 18.

The promotion announced the headliner during a UFC Fight Night event in Las Vegas this weekend, when Manel Kape knocked out Kyoji Horiguchi to edge closer to a shot at Joshua Van’s flyweight title.

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Usman bounced back from a three-fight skid by outpointing Joaquin Buckley in a Fight of the Night-winning main event at UFC Atlanta last June.

‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ had lost the welterweight title to Leon Edwards — his first defeat in 14 UFC fights — and failed to reclaim it in a rematch before tasting another loss to Khamzat Chimaev.

Usman has fought at welterweight for his entire UFC career, aside from the one-off at middleweight against Chimaev in October 2023, and fully intended on continuing at 170lbs in his final chapter.

After returning to welterweight and upsetting Buckley, the 39-year-old believed he would be next in line for a shot at 170lbs champion Islam Makhachev.

Usman thought that his being the promotion’s former No. 1 pound-for-pound (P4P) star would be a perfect narrative for the UFC to create against Makhachev, the current No. 1 P4P fighter.

However, in February, Usman detailed ‘tumultuous’ conversations with the UFC about fighting the Russian welterweight king, revealing a bout against du Plessis had been presented instead.

Makhachev has since been matched to face Ian Machado Garry for the first defence of his title, meaning there was only really one route for Usman to go.

Usman wants one last title shot

Speaking about fighting ex-UFC middleweight titleholder ‘DDP’ earlier this year, Usman made his intentions clear if he accepted.

“Listen, there’s one thing about me: when they call and say this guy or that guy, I don’t go, ‘Aw, maybe no,’ I say yes,” Usman said.

“For sure [I’d move up to middleweight], potentially, but the thing for me is it has to be meaningful.

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“At this point, it has to be meaningful. I’m not just here to fight the fight; it has to be meaningful.

“If it gets me to the title that I want, that’s what I want.”

Du Plessis is the current No. 2-ranked middleweight, having lost the division’s belt to Chimaev, who shockingly dropped it to Sean Strickland last month, in his third defence.

The South African had won the belt by outpointing Strickland in January 2024, defended it against Israel Adesanya seven months later and claimed another decision over Strickland at UFC 312 last February.

For Usman, a win over ‘Stillknocks’ will put him in the driving seat for exactly what he wants: one last UFC title shot.

It’s unknown who Strickland will be matched up against for the first defence of his new middleweight reign, whether Chimaev gets a rematch, or if, for example, No.3-ranked star Nassourdine Imavov is chosen.

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After all, Usman already has a win over the current champion, defeating Strickland way back at UFC 210 in 2017.

He also fought Chimaev to a split decision when they met at UFC 294, with one judge actually scoring the fight a draw.

All Usman has to do is beat a man who has only lost once in the UFC and three times in his entire 26-fight career.

Du Plessis vs Usman headlines a well-shaped card in Oklahoma, a week after Conor McGregor makes his UFC return.

Also on the card, Briton Christian Leroy Duncan faces Jared Cannonier in the same division, while Kevin Holland takes on Jacobe Smith at welterweight.