Former UFC champions Kamaru Usman and Dricus du Plessis are set to collide in a high-stakes middleweight showdown as the UFC returns to Oklahoma City on July 18.
The blockbuster bout, announced during the UFC Fight Night broadcast featuring Manel Kape and Kyoji Horiguchi, will headline the promotion’s first event in Oklahoma City in nearly a decade.
For du Plessis, the contest marks his first appearance since surrendering the UFC middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 last August.
The South African remains one of the division’s most formidable figures, having built his championship reign on impressive victories over former titleholders Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker.
Du Plessis notably submitted Adesanya in 2024 to retain the middleweight crown, cementing his status among the UFC’s elite fighters and becoming the first man to defeat the Nigerian-born star inside the UFC.
Usman, meanwhile, continues his pursuit of success in a second weight class.
The former welterweight champion halted a difficult run of form with a dominant victory over Joaquin Buckley last year and has since shifted his focus to the middleweight division.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest welterweights in UFC history, the Nigerian-American now has the opportunity to fast-track his route to title contention at 185 pounds with a statement victory over a former champion.
The event will be only the fifth UFC card ever staged in Oklahoma and is expected to draw significant attention, with both fighters seeking to re-establish themselves in the championship picture.
Also confirmed for the card are Kevin Holland against Jacobe Smith, Jared Cannonier versus Christian Leroy Duncan, and Brad Tavares taking on Canada’s Marc-André Barriault.
With du Plessis aiming to begin a new title charge and Usman looking to prove he remains a force among the middleweight elite, the main event promises fireworks and potentially major implications for the future of the division.
