Kamaru Usman’s UFC future is up in the air after he suffered a one-sided loss to Dricus Du Plessis on Saturday.
Former welterweight king Usman was competing up at middleweight as he faced Du Plessis, who earned scores of 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46 in their main-event in Oklahoma City.
It was a crucial comeback for “DDP”, whose last outing was a middleweight-title loss to Khamzat Chimaev in August, a comprehensive points defeat.
The South African, 32, clearly outstruck Usman, 39, and neutralised the veteran’s usually-considerable wrestling threat. Usman appeared to be on wobbly legs on numerous occasions, thanks to Du Plessis’s strikes, while in other moments he ambitiously looked to the referee in hopes that fouls would be called – largely to no avail.
“I couldn’t get going,” Usman said at a post-fight press conference. “He was big, he was strong, he was rangy. So, it was a little tough to get going. I took kind of a thumb-punch in the eye early on, and that kind of blurred the vision a bit. But no excuses, it is what it is.
“I was pretty compromised [by the ‘thumb-punch’]. Like I said, he’s a big boy, and when you start seeing two of the big boys, and he’s got kind of a weird, rangy shots… it’s a little delayed to get out of the way of those shots, seeing them. But no excuses.
“It’s tough to be on this side. I’m not used to being on this side, so yeah, it kind of sucks.”
The Nigerian-American also hinted at pre-fight issues, saying cryptically: “My [in]ability to do what I want kind of surprised me, because like I said: each and every fight, we’re dealing with something, but you guys never hear of it – especially with me, because most of the time I come out here and I’m victorious, so you never hear about what I’m dealing with coming in.
“But when you’re dealing with something, and it kind of hinders you and your ability to go out there and do exactly what you want to do, fight the way that you know you can fight, it kind of sucks a bit.”
It was a fourth defeat in five fights for the former pound-for-pound No 1, whose 2022 title loss to Leon Edwards gave way to a second defeat by the British-Jamaican, a narrow points defeat by Chimaev on Usman’s middleweight debut, then a clinic against Joaquin Buckley back at welterweight last June.
And while Usman refused to call time on his career on Saturday, his next move is unclear.
“We’ll see where there’s next opportunities at,” he said. “Listen, opportunities always come up, like taking on Khazmat Chimaev on eight, seven days’ notice – whatever that was. Opportunity came up. [Fighting Jorge] Masvidal on six days’ notice, opportunity came up.
“And there’s been a couple of little ones that didn’t necessarily materialise, that I’ve kind of almost jumped in line for. So, opportunities always come up, and look: Michael Bisping was middleweight champion of the world. Let’s not forget that opportunity came up, he jumped on it, he was a middleweight champion [aged 37, in his 26th UFC fight].”
Meanwhile, Du Plessis said, “I’m back in the winner’s circle, let’s get my belt back,” and his chances of doing so might have drastically improved in recent months.
After Chimaev’s dominant wrestling display against DDP in August, the Russian lost the belt in his first title defence, a shock points defeat by Sean Strickland in May. Chimaev had never been beaten before, while Strickland’s win made him a two-time middleweight champion.
And it was Du Plessis who ended the American’s first title reign in 2024, outpointing Strickland before doing the same 11 months later to retain the gold.
Du Plessis also recorded a successful title defence against Israel Adesanya between those fights with Strickland, submitting the former champion.
Still, Du Plessis might have to wait for another title shot; fan interest in a third clash with Strickland seems low, while the American’s bout with Chimaev in May was the culmination of a bitter feud between former teammates – meaning a rematch might be a priority for the UFC.
