Du Plessis routs Usman, demands Strickland trilogy
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- Dricus Du Plessis won a unanimous decision over Kamaru Usman at UFC Fight Night in Oklahoma City, with judges scoring it 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46 across five rounds.
- Du Plessis dictated the action with power and volume striking, cracking Usman with a right hand to the temple in Round 1 and twice staggering him with knees up the middle in Round 2.
- Du Plessis (24-3) was fighting for the first time since losing the middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev in August 2025 and remains ranked No. 2 in the division.
- Du Plessis called for a trilogy with current champion Sean Strickland, noting two prior wins over Strickland and saying a performance like Saturday's should earn him the next title shot.
- Kamaru Usman (21-5), a former longtime welterweight champion, was making just his second middleweight appearance after a 2023 short-notice loss to Chimaev, and disputed the 50-45 scorecard: "What were the judges watching?"
- Du Plessis described being in a "flow state" and said he chose composure over going for finishes, branding the showing "Stillknocks 2.0."
Why it matters: Du Plessis, still ranked No. 2 at middleweight with two wins over champion Sean Strickland, now has the clearest case for a trilogy title shot — a matchup Strickland can hardly dismiss given the head-to-head record and the lopsided fashion of Du Plessis's bounce-back win.
