Dricus du Plessis says Usman fight will show his wrestling fixes
After a rough loss to Khamzat Chimaev, Dricus du Plessis told CBS Sports he is ready to prove his grappling problems are fixed.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Dricus du Plessis is walking straight back toward the kind of test that exposed him last time out.
The former UFC middleweight champion returns from an 11-month layoff on Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, where he meets Kamaru Usman, according to CBS Sports. Du Plessis enters at 23-3. Usman, a former UFC welterweight champion, is 21-4.
The matchup is not subtle. CBS Sports reported that du Plessis was taken down 12 times by Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 last August, spent 22 of 25 minutes controlled from bottom position and absorbed 529 ground strikes in a lopsided middleweight title defeat.
Du Plessis told CBS Sports on Tuesday that he sees the Usman fight as a chance to answer that result in public.
“I fell short in the last fight,” du Plessis said, according to CBS Sports. “It was a style issue. It was a gameplan problem.”
A wrestling exam with title stakes
Usman brings serious credentials to that assignment. CBS Sports identified him as a former NCAA Division II national wrestling champion, as well as a former welterweight titleholder and former pound-for-pound No. 1 in the sport.
Du Plessis said he is eager to show that the issues from the Chimaev fight have been addressed. He told CBS Sports that a fighter has to be prepared wherever a bout goes, including situations where an opponent is content to hold top position for a full 25 minutes.
The South African fighter also pushed back against the idea that his ground game should be judged only by the Chimaev loss. CBS Sports noted that du Plessis, 32, has 20 career stoppage victories, including 11 by submission.
He also has major wins already on his middleweight résumé. CBS Sports reported that du Plessis won the title from Sean Strickland by split decision in 2024, defended it twice, and has beaten Strickland twice overall in title fights. He also owns a win over former champion Israel Adesanya.
Strickland’s belt changes the math
The division has shifted since du Plessis last fought. CBS Sports reported that Strickland upset Chimaev by split decision at UFC 328 in May to begin a second title reign.
That puts Saturday’s main event in the middle of a crowded title conversation. CBS Sports reported that the du Plessis-Usman winner could join Nassourdine Imavov and a Chimaev rematch push as possible options for Strickland’s next defense. Usman also owns a 2017 win over Strickland at welterweight.
Du Plessis told CBS Sports that the result alone may not be enough to claim the next title shot. He said the winner’s performance will matter, adding that both he and Usman are trying to raise their hands for a championship opportunity.
Du Plessis also disputed comparisons between himself and Usman based on how each performed against Chimaev. Usman lost to Chimaev by majority decision in a 2023 middleweight bout, but du Plessis told CBS Sports that fight involved two welterweights meeting on short notice at 185 pounds.
Du Plessis said he views himself as the naturally bigger middleweight and believes Usman is used to being the physically stronger fighter. He told CBS Sports he expects that dynamic to change on Saturday, and said he believes he is better than Usman in the striking department.
He also suggested Usman may be misreading his grappling. Usman’s response to du Plessis’ comments was not included in CBS Sports’ report.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.