Dricus Du Plessis reinforced his status among the middleweight elite, putting on a clinic in a brilliant unanimous decision victory over Kamaru Usman on Saturday night in a UFC Fight Night main event at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
In a battle of former champions, Du Plessis' power and volume of strikes overwhelmed Usman, and he kept that pressure up for nearly all five rounds, rocking Usman several times and never really allowing him to get back into the fight. The judges scored the bout 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46 for Du Plessis.
"You guys deserve fights like these, not guys lying on top of other guys to get some dumbass decision win," Du Plessis said to the crowd in his postfight Octagon interview. "Thank you, Kamaru Usman, for bringing the best out in me, and thank you for giving your life up over so many years to entertain these fans.
"I'm back in the winner's circle, baby. Let's get my belt back."
Du Plessis (24-3) returned to the Octagon for the first time since losing his middleweight crown in a five-round decision to Khamzat Chimaev in August 2025. It was Du Plessis' first loss in the UFC after starting his career in the Octagon 9-0, including two title defenses. He is still ranked No. 2 in the division.
Du Plessis, who has two wins over current champion Sean Strickland, said he "absolutely" feels like he should be next in line and called for a trilogy.
"I said a win wouldn't get me a title shot, but damned if a performance like that would give me a title shot," Du Plessis said.
Usman (21-5), a former longtime welterweight champion, spent the first half of this year campaigning hard for a title shot against 170-pound champion Islam Makhachev. But he opted to move up to face Du Plessis after the UFC booked Makhachev's first title defense against Ian Machado Garry in August.
Saturday night marked Usman's second fight at 185 pounds. He took a short-notice bout against Chimaev on October 2023, performing well but losing in a three-round majority decision.
"I'm no sorry loser, but I mean 50-45? What were the judges watching?" Usman said. "He's a big boy, and I knew he was going to be tough, I said it all week. He's a tough dude."
Du Plessis found his range early in Saturday's fight and dictated the action nearly the entire way. He connected with a series of jabs and leg kicks in the opening round and cracked Usman with a hard right hand on the temple that briefly wobbled him.
Round 2 was more of the same for Du Plessis, as he timed a big knee to the head that staggered Usman as he attempted a level change. Du Plessis hurt Usman again with another knee up the middle that caught him square on the chin.
As the action slowed, Usman had a better Round 3. He finally scored his first takedown with about a minute to go in the round, but he didn't do much with it as Du Plessis got right back to his feet.
Du Plessis reclaimed the momentum in the fourth round, tagging Usman with a pair of head kicks and regularly finding a home for two-punch combinations. Usman tried to shoot for another takedown, but it was easily stuffed.
In need of a finish entering the final round, Usman ate a huge head kick that badly hurt him as he fell back against the cage. But he rebounded and began to push forward with strikes with Du Plessis' output beginning to wane. The fight ended with Usman winging big haymakers in the final seconds, but it was too little, too late for him.
Du Plessis, who is nicknamed "Stillknocks," said he was in a "flow state" against Usman on Saturday night and was able to do everything he trained for.
"It was the perfect plan. I don't think I could have done it better," he said. "Obviously, I could have gone for the finish, but the big thing about that is -- I said 'Stillknocks' 2.0 is here, and part of that was showing the composure, not just going crazy. Every time I caught him I could have gone crazy and gone for that finish. I basically had four fight finishes tonight."