South African mixed martial artist Dricus Du Plessis secured a unanimous decision victory over Nigeria’s Kamaru Usman on Saturday, July 19th, 2026, at UFC Fight Night in Oklahoma City, United States.

Du Plessis, who held the UFC middleweight belt from January 2024 until August 2025 when he lost to Chimaev, won the bout with judges scoring 50-45, 49-46, and 49-46 in his favor. This marked his first fight in nearly a year and extended his UFC record to 24 wins and 3 losses.

The fight was contested upright with no successful takedowns or submission attempts. Du Plessis demonstrated clear dominance, landing 136 significant strikes compared to Usman’s 92, and holding a total strikes advantage of 139 to 99.

The 32-year-old South African said after the fight, “I had to get up. There’s so many South African kids that look up to me.”

Usman, a former UFC welterweight champion from March 2019 to November 2021, entered the fight with a record of 21 wins and 5 losses. The 39-year-old Nigerian has lost four of his last five fights and was unable to secure a second consecutive win in his first fight in 13 months.

The event took place amid global attention on the upcoming World Cup 2026 final, with previews highlighting the clash between Spain and Argentina.

Sources