Former champions to collide in UFC Oklahoma City main event

Dricus Du Plessis will return at UFC Oklahoma City. |
Getty/UFC

Oklahoma City is getting a marquee middleweight matchup.

Dricus Du
Plessis will square off against Kamaru
Usman in a matchup of former title holders in the UFC
Oklahoma City headliner, the Las Vegas-based promotion
announced on Saturday. The event, also known as UFC Fight Night
281, takes place at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,
and airs in its entirety on Paramount+.

High Stakes Affair

Du Plessis hasn’t competed since last August, when he relinquished
the middleweight crown in a lopsided unanimous decision loss to
Khamzat
Chimaev at UFC 319. Prior to that, the South African standout
was 9-0 in the Octagon, earning notable victories against the likes
of Sean
Strickland (twice), Israel
Adesanya, Robert
Whittaker, Derek
Brunson and Darren
Till.

Usman is back in action for the first time since he outpointed
Joaquin
Buckley in the UFC on ESPN 69 headliner last June. While there
were rumors that “The Nigerian Nightmare” would be next in line for
a title shot against Islam
Makhachev, that ultimately did not come to fruition. Usman’s
welterweight championship reign began with a five-round verdict
over Tyron
Woodley at UFC 235, and he authored five successful defenses
before relinquishing the strap to Leon
Edwards in August 2022.