UFC Fight Night Du Plessis vs. Usman

UFC Fight Night Du Plessis vs. Usman took place on July 18, 2026 in Oklahoma City, OK, USA, headlined by Dricus Du Plessis vs Kamaru Usman. See full results, round-by-round breakdowns, fight statistics, win probabilities, where to watch, venue details, and the 12-fight card below.

Dricus Du Plessis defeated Kamaru Usman by unanimous decision after five rounds at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on 18 July 2026. The judges scored the non-title middleweight main event 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46, giving the former champion a convincing victory on his return.

Du Plessis improved to 24-3 in his first appearance since losing the middleweight championship to Khamzat Chimaev by unanimous decision on 16 August 2025. Before that defeat, he had unanimously outpointed Sean Strickland at UFC 312. Beating Usman restored momentum without erasing the questions raised by Chimaev's wrestling.

Usman fell to 21-5, unable to build on his unanimous-decision victory over Joaquin Buckley on 14 June 2025. His previous appearance at middleweight had also ended in defeat, a majority decision against Chimaev on 21 October 2023. Oklahoma City provided another difficult test against an established 185lb contender.

Du Plessis prevented Usman from turning his wrestling into sustained control, then punished him with knees and high kicks. A right hand unsettled Usman in the opening round. The second was more damaging, with repeated knees through the middle catching the former welterweight champion as he tried to close distance.

Usman found more success with front kicks in the third and briefly secured a takedown, but Du Plessis immediately returned to his feet. High kicks helped Du Plessis reassert himself in the fourth. Usman still produced a determined finish, pushing forward with punches late in the fifth as the South African retreated towards the fence.

All three judges awarded Du Plessis each of the first four rounds. Michael Bell and David Sutherland gave Usman the fifth for their 49-46 totals, while Sal D'Amato scored every round for Du Plessis. The late rally narrowed two scorecards, not the outcome.

Christian Duncan defeated Jared Cannonier by unanimous decision in the middleweight co-main event, winning 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28. The victory extended his winning streak to five and took his professional record to 15-2. Cannonier's name made this a particularly valuable addition to Duncan's run.

Duncan's varied striking repeatedly disrupted Cannonier, including a spinning body kick that put the veteran down in the second round. Cannonier continued pursuing clinches and takedowns, particularly in the third, but struggled to keep Duncan grounded. The Englishman's ability to regain his feet preserved opportunities to land the cleaner attacks.

Duncan arrived with a unanimous-decision win over Roman Dolidze on 21 March 2026 and a second-round knockout of Marco Tulio on 8 November 2025. Cannonier, 42, had lost unanimously to Michael Page in August 2025 after stopping Gregory Rodrigues in the fourth round that February. Their recent trajectories continued in Oklahoma City.

Chase Hooper submitted Mitch Ramirez at 2:15 of the first round after quickly taking the lightweight contest to the ground. A straight left created his entry; once behind Ramirez, Hooper secured a body triangle and worked towards a rear-naked choke. It was an efficient return to his strongest discipline.

Fatima Kline controlled her strawweight meeting with Tabatha Ricci, earning 30-27 on all three scorecards. Her sharper striking was supported by well-timed takedowns and effective defensive work. Ricci remained competitive enough to reach the final horn, but Kline consistently supplied the more convincing offence.

Jose Delgado recovered from an early knockdown to beat Austin Bashi by unanimous decision at featherweight. Delgado answered with a damaging left hook late in the opening round, then maintained the better striking over the remaining two. The judges returned scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.

Tommy McMillen and Felipe Franco received the two $100,000 Performance of the Night awards. Du Plessis and Usman also collected $100,000 apiece after their five-round main event was named Fight of the Night. Those were the four headline bonus payments from Oklahoma City.

McMillen stopped Alberto Montes at 3:29 of the third round after overcoming dangerous early exchanges. His pressure and body punching gradually wore Montes down before the finishing surge. Franco earned his award by mounting Levi Rodrigues Jr and finishing with strikes at 1:40 of round two.

RJ Harris and Dione Barbosa each received an additional $25,000 finish bonus. Hooper did not receive that payment because he missed weight: he registered 157.5lb, 1.5lb above the non-title lightweight limit, and forfeited 20 per cent of his purse to Ramirez. His submission win therefore came with a significant financial qualification.

A third fight with Sean Strickland is the clearest title storyline for Du Plessis, rather than a reward this result automatically guarantees. The No. 2-ranked contender already owns split-decision and unanimous-decision victories over the current champion. Our matchmaking view is that those wins give him a strong argument, although beating Usman alone does not settle the contender queue.

A return to welterweight looks the more sensible rebuilding option for Usman in our view, not an announced divisional move. At 39, and with defeats against both Chimaev and Du Plessis at middleweight, he has more reason to reassess the assignment than pursue an immediate rematch at 185lb.

Duncan's next step is already booked as of 24 September 2026: he faces Brendan Allen in the main event on 10 October at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. With Allen ranked fourth and Duncan tenth, that match offers a much more direct test of whether the Cannonier victory can lead to genuine title contention.

Looking for live or catch-up coverage of UFC Fight Night Du Plessis vs. Usman 2026? Use the country breakdown below for TV and streaming options.

Event venue, local timezone, and map details for fight night.

Who won Dricus Du Plessis vs Kamaru Usman?

Dricus Du Plessis won by unanimous decision after five rounds on 18 July 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. The judges scored the fight 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46. Usman reached the final horn, but all three judges awarded Du Plessis the opening four rounds.

Was Du Plessis vs Usman a UFC title fight?

No, Du Plessis vs Usman was a non-title middleweight bout scheduled for five rounds. Du Plessis was a former middleweight champion and Usman a former welterweight champion. Sean Strickland held the 185lb belt, so the Oklahoma City result affected title contention rather than transferring a championship.

Who won the UFC Oklahoma City co-main event?

Christian Duncan defeated Jared Cannonier by unanimous decision in the three-round middleweight co-main event. The scorecards were 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28. Duncan improved to 15-2 and extended his winning streak to five, following earlier victories over Roman Dolidze and Marco Tulio.

Who won the bonuses at UFC Du Plessis vs Usman?

Du Plessis and Usman earned Fight of the Night, receiving $100,000 each. Tommy McMillen and Felipe Franco collected $100,000 Performance of the Night awards for their stoppage victories. RJ Harris and Dione Barbosa also received $25,000 each in additional finish bonuses, bringing the announced bonus payments to $450,000.

Where can I watch the Du Plessis vs Usman replay?

In the United States, the UFC's official event page points viewers to Paramount+ for the replay. Search for UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs Usman, held on 18 July 2026 in Oklahoma City. This is a completed event, not an upcoming live broadcast.