UFC Oklahoma City: Former champions Dricus du Plessis and Kamaru Usman face off in a 'Battle for Africa' and dream of a title.

Du Plessis and Usman have a tense face-off at UFC. Photo: Reproduction/YouTube/UFC

PUBLICITY:

The UFC Oklahoma City main event is a true clash of powerhouses. Taking place this Saturday (18), on one side is Dricus du Plessis , who performed well as middleweight champion (up to 83,9 kg), while on the other is Kamaru Usman , former welterweight king (up to 77,1 kg). As if the athletes' status and the importance of the fight weren't enough, since the winner will be close to challenging for the 83,9 kg division title, the duel also revives the controversial African rivalry.

For those who don't know, Du Plessis was involved in a controversy when he faced Israel Adesanya , which indirectly involved Kamaru. In 2024, the athlete promoted the fight claiming to be the first truly African UFC champion, a fact that bothered Nigerians.

All because 'Stillknocks', proud to have been born, raised, and lived in South Africa, questioned the ties of 'The Last Stylebender' and 'The Nigerian Nightmare' to the African continent. It's worth remembering that Adesanya and Usman moved with their families in their youth to New Zealand and the United States, respectively.

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In response, Adesanya lashed out at his rival, attacking him with harsh words, but in the octagon, he ended up being submitted in the fourth round. Usman, meanwhile, lamented Du Plessis's statement and advised him to be more cautious and responsible. Now, the Nigerian has the chance to make the South African eat his words.

However, Usman's mission is not simple. At 39 years old and fighting less and less, the Nigerian decided to switch from welterweight to middleweight again in search of big fights and because he still dreams of becoming a double champion. And the veteran made this decision largely because he regained his confidence, having ended his three-fight losing streak in June 2025 when he dominated Joaquin Buckley.

Interestingly, while Kamaru bounced back in his last fight, the opposite happened to Du Plessis. The South African, who has never tasted defeat in the UFC, lost his undefeated record and title to Khamzat Chimaev in August. On that occasion, he was dominated and now aims to erase the bad impression left in the octagon.

Being seven years younger and having a physical advantage, Dricus is seen by many as the favorite to win the main event of UFC Oklahoma City. However, Usman shouldn't be underestimated, as he has a powerful weapon, which was the South African's kryptonite against 'Borz': wrestling. The Nigerian is a specialist in the discipline and made good use of it to end his losing streak against the American.

In turn, aware that he fell short in the striking department against Chimaev, Du Plessis assured that he has improved and is prepared to frustrate Kamaru's likely takedown attempts. In striking, the South African appears confident and believes he can knock out the Nigerian, despite the latter also possessing a good level of striking and being powerful.

And it's not just the African rivalry that will make the athletes give their all in the octagon. The winner of Du Plessis vs. Usman could face Sean Strickland again , now as the middleweight champion. Interestingly, the American lost twice to the South African, in 2024 and 2025, and once to the Nigerian, in 2017. Therefore, with a very favorable record against the bad boy, the athletes will likely see a new clash as the perfect chance to achieve their goals. So, there's no doubt, this fight between the stars is unmissable.

Technical details for UFC Oklahoma City

Date: July 18 of 2026

Time: From 18pm (Brasília time)

Location: Paycom Center, Oklahoma, United States

How to watch: SUPER FIGHTS LIVE in real time, Paramount+ (entire card) on TV and internet.

MAIN CARD (21pm Brasília time)

Average weight (up to 83,9 kg): Dricus du Plessis x Kamaru Usman

Average weight (up to 83,9 kg): Jared Cannonier x Christian Leroy Duncan

Lightweight (up to 70,3 kg): Chase Hooper x Mitch Ramirez

Strawweight (up to 52,2 kg): Tabatha Ricci x Fatima Kline

Featherweight (up to 65,8 kg): Tommy McMillen vs. Alberto Montes

PRELIMINARY CARD (18pm Brasília time)

Featherweight (up to 65,8 kg): Austin Bashi x Jose Miguel Delgado

Middleweight (up to 77,1 kg): Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani vs. Seok Hyeon Ko

Light heavyweight (up to 93 kg): Levi Rodrigues Jr. vs. Felipe Negão

Flyweight (up to 56,7 kg): Alden Coria x Stewart Nicoll

Heavyweight (up to 120,2 kg): RJ Harris vs. Alvin Hines

Flyweight (up to 56,7 kg): Anna Melisano vs. Dione Barbosa

Featherweight (up to 65,8 kg): Ezra Elliott vs. Damien Anderson

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