Usman vs – Kamaru Usman and Dricus Du Plessis have been set for a five-round main event at 185 pounds when the UFC returns to Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center on July 18 after nearly a decade away. Both fighters enter with big stakes: Du Plessis is aiming to rebound after l
The Octagon is heading back to Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center on July 18, and for UFC OKC’s return after nearly a decade-long absence, the promotion has chosen a main event that feels built for collision.
Kamaru “The Nigerian Nightmare” Usman will meet Dricus “Stillknocks” Du Plessis in a five-round, 185-pound showdown. It’s the kind of pairing that doesn’t just promise fireworks—it places both men right back under the kind of lights that force a decision.
Du Plessis comes in desperate to climb out of the hole he dug after dropping his 185-pound strap to Khamzat Chimaev last August at UFC 319. Before that defeat, the South African was riding a nine-fight UFC winning streak. That run included a pair of title victories over current champ Sean Strickland and a dramatic TKO over Robert Whittaker. Now the goal is simple: get back into the win column and earn his way toward championship gold again.
Usman’s path to this matchup is equally loaded, even if the destination looks different. After enduring a difficult three-fight skid. which included losing his welterweight crown to Leon Edwards. Usman also took a short-notice majority decision loss to Chimaev in his middleweight debut. He steadied things last year with an impressive victory over Joaquin Buckley. and now he’s making a full-fledged commitment to middleweight — not just to compete. but to jump back up the contender line. Taking out a former champion like Du Plessis is the clearest statement he can make.
What makes this fight feel special is the contrast in how each man attacks.
Usman brings a wrestling pedigree. relentless pressure. and a crisp jab—work that can slowly control space and break opponents down over time. Du Plessis. on the other hand. is built around awkward power. blitzing strikes. and newly refined cardio. a blend that can flip momentum fast when the fight opens up. For both fighters. it’s a test of identity: Usman’s pressure and precision against Du Plessis’ sudden bursts and physicality.
UFC OKC also marks the promotion’s first trip to the city since June 2017. With a five-round main event like Usman vs. Du Plessis set for the Paycom Center, the stakes don’t need to be explained. Both men are in the same place in one respect: they need a statement victory to re-enter the title conversation.
The fight is set for five rounds at 185 pounds, and the message from UFC is clear—this return to Oklahoma City isn’t coming quietly.
UFC OKC Kamaru Usman Dricus Du Plessis UFC news Paycom Center July 18 2026 185 pounds Khamzat Chimaev Sean Strickland Leon Edwards Joaquin Buckley Robert Whittaker