TLDR
- Dricus du Plessis claims Kamaru Usman needed UFC convincing to sign their fight contract for UFC Oklahoma City on July 18
- Du Plessis says he spoke to the UFC and they confirmed Usman initially didn’t want to sign the bout agreement
- The former champion is looking to rebound from his first UFC loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in August 2025
- Du Plessis wants to fight Usman specifically to prove his wrestling and grappling skills after being dominated by Chimaev
- Usman, 39, is considered one of the greatest welterweights ever and has competed at middleweight once before, losing to Chimaev
Sources: mmafighting.com | mmafighting.com | bjpenn.com
Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis has accused Kamaru Usman of delaying their upcoming fight by refusing to sign the contract. The two fighters are now scheduled to meet in the main event at UFC Oklahoma City on July 18.
Du Plessis revealed in an interview with Fight Forecast that Usman needed convincing from the UFC to accept the bout. “He didn’t want to sign the contract, I know that for a fact,” du Plessis said. “I spoke to the UFC and they said, ‘We finally convinced him to sign.'”
The South African fighter had previously posted cryptically on Instagram about a “little someone” delaying the fight announcement. He confirmed in his recent interview that those comments were directed at Usman.
Kamaru Usman responds to Dricus Du Plessis, insisting no opponent is off limits. 👀🔥
"I will whoop anybody. I don't discriminate with these hands."
via: @dc_mma pic.twitter.com/dwdnvQ3Esi
— FREAK.MMA (@FREAKMMA1) June 29, 2026
“If you need convincing to sign, that’s a problem, but I can’t blame him, I would also not want to fight me right now,” du Plessis said. He added that not signing the fight would have been “the smart move” for Usman.
Usman’s Middleweight Move
Usman is considered one of the greatest welterweights in UFC history, winning his first 15 fights in the promotion. He captured the welterweight championship in 2019 and defended it five times before losing the belt.
The 39-year-old has competed at middleweight once before, losing a close decision to Khamzat Chimaev. He also holds a win over current middleweight contender Sean Strickland from his time at 185 pounds.
Du Plessis explained that fighting Usman serves a specific purpose in his career. “What’s it going to mean for me to go out there and beat another striker?” he said. “People are going to be like, ‘OK, we know you can strike, what about the wrestling and grappling?’ because of my last fight.”
Du Plessis Looks to Rebound
Du Plessis lost his middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in August 2025. The loss ended a perfect 10-0 UFC record that included championship wins over Robert Whittaker, Israel Adesanya, and Sean Strickland twice.
The former champion was out-wrestled by Chimaev in that fight, which he says motivated his choice to face Usman. “I want to go out there and prove what I’ve done,” du Plessis said. “Now I am more complete—and I was a complete fighter—but now I am complete in all areas.”
Du Plessis has been out of action since that August loss, nearly 11 months ago. He was scheduled to return in April but suffered an injury that postponed his comeback.
“It’s been long,” du Plessis said. “I was supposed to fight in April, got the injury. I think that was all for a reason because the fire in me to get back in there is like never before.”
Du Plessis also defended his decision to fight Usman instead of other contenders like Nassourdine Imavov. He pointed to recent performances by older fighters like Justin Gaethje as proof that age shouldn’t disqualify Usman as a meaningful opponent.
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Usman is widely regarded as one of the best welterweights ever alongside Georges St-Pierre based on his title defense record. He has not publicly responded to du Plessis’s accusations about the contract delay.
The UFC Oklahoma City event on July 18 will mark du Plessis’s first fight since losing his championship. The bout represents Usman’s latest attempt to establish himself in the middleweight division after his successful welterweight career.
