UFC Fight Night odds, lines, predictions, time: Dricus du Plessis vs. Kamaru Usman picks by elite MMA expert
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- Dricus du Plessis (23-3, ranked No. 2 in UFC middleweights) meets Kamaru Usman (21-4, ranked No. 9) in the five-bout main card starting at 7 p.m. ET on Paramount+, with du Plessis listed at -205 and Usman at +170 at DraftKings.
- Du Plessis enters coming off a unanimous decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319, while Usman snapped a three-bout losing streak with a unanimous decision win over Joaquin Buckley on June 14, 2025.
- Du Plessis was the first South African to win a UFC title, has three middleweight title defenses (tied with Rich Franklin for fourth-most), and holds wins over former champions Robert Whittaker, Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland.
- Usman, the first Nigerian-born UFC champion, owns a 97.3% takedown defense rate and a 15-bout UFC welterweight winning streak, with five successful title defenses during his welterweight title reign.
- SportsLine expert Kyle Marley is backing Dione Barbosa (-625) to win by submission over Anna Melisano (+455) on the prelims, citing Barbosa's grappling edge against a debuting opponent he described as a 'decent offensive striker' with 'defensive issues.'
- The rest of the main card: Jared Cannonier (+310) vs. Christian LeRoy Duncan (-395), Chase Hooper (-375) vs. Mitch Ramirez (+295), Tabatha Ricci (+360) vs. Fatima Kline (-470), and Tommy McMillen (-175) vs. Alberto Montes (+145).
Why it matters: Both fighters are at a career crossroads: du Plessis is trying to rebound from his first title-fight loss, while Usman, 39, is working his way back up the rankings at 170 pounds despite moving into a middleweight bout. The -205 price tag makes du Plessis the bettors' clear pick, but the 3.5-round over/under leaves little margin for an early finish in a matchup between two decision-heavy veterans who combine for 14 career wins by decision.
