The UFC was in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Saturday for a solid UFC Oklahoma City card. The main event saw former middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis taking on former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in a pivotal fight at middleweight.
Du Plessis was coming off a lopsided loss to Khamzat Chimaev, to lose his middleweight title. Usman, meanwhile, was moving back up to middleweight after he returned to the win column with a decision win over Joaquin Buckley at welterweight last time out.
Ultimately, it was Du Plessis who won a clear-cut decision in a rather lopsided result to return to the win column. Following UFC Oklahoma City, here is what I think should be next for the middleweight contenders.
Dricus Du Plessis
Dricus Du Plessis returned to the win column with a lopsided decision win over Kamaru Usman at UFC Oklahoma City. Du Plessis was able to land the more damaging shots and was able to avoid stuffing Usman’s takedown attempts. The South African was dominant from start to finish to prove he’s still a legit title contender.
Although Du Plessis has two wins over Sean Strickland, it’s likely the champ will face either Nassourdine Imavov or rematch Chimaev next. So, Du Plessis should have to take another fight, and he should headline a Fight Night card later this year against Brendan Allen, with the winner getting a title shot.
Kamaru Usman
Kamaru Usman struggled to deal with Dricus Du Plessis’ size and power at middleweight, as a return to welterweight is likely. Usman couldn’t get going as he started slowly and was never able to find his groove.
If Usman stays at middleweight, he could get a veteran like Jared Cannonier. Yet, a move back to welterweight makes sense, where the former champ should face Belal Muhammad, and the winner can get back on track, while the loser would become a permanent gatekeeper at 185lbs.
What do you think should be next for Dricus Du Plessis and Kamaru Usman after UFC Oklahoma City?
