UFC Fight Night: du Plessis vs Usman Preview, Prediction & Stream

The UFC is set to hold its Fight Night in Oklahoma City on July 18, 2026, at the Paycom Center. The event is headlined by a highly anticipated middleweight clash between Dricus du Plessis and Kamaru Usman. In addition to the headliner, the fight night has many other exciting fights in different weight classes. Here's the fight card, event details, fighter profiles, and our prediction for the headline bout.

Du Plessis vs. Usman: Event Details

Where to Watch UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs. Usman Live

• UFC Fight Night: du Plessis vs Usman Stream Link 1
• UFC Fight Night: du Plessis vs Usman Stream Link 2

Fans worldwide can catch UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs. Usman through the following official broadcasters and streaming platforms:

• United States: Paramount+ (Exclusive Streaming)

• India: Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV

• United Kingdom & Ireland: TNT Sports and HBO Max

• Australia & Latin America: Paramount+ (Regional Availability)

• Other Regions: UFC Fight Pass (Selected preliminary and main card bouts)

Du Plessis vs. Usman: Fight Card

Du Plessis vs. Usman: Stats and Bio

Dricus du Plessis Profile

Dricus du Plessis is a South African MMA fighter fighting in the middleweight class. He was born on the 14th of January 1994 in Welkom, South Africa. Du Plessis developed an interest in combat sports when he was young. He took part in many sports, such as judo, wrestling, and kickboxing, before entering MMA. As a beginner, he achieved success by becoming a champion in two categories. At the beginning of his career, he won championships in the Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) and Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (KSW).

He then went into the UFC. With wins against such notable fighters as Robert Whittaker, Darren Till, and Sean Strickland, he started to climb the middleweight ranking. In January 2024, du Plessis became the first South African to win a UFC championship by defeating Sean Strickland. After successful defenses of his title against Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland, he eventually lost it to Khamzat Chimaev in 2025. He is now scheduled to fight at UFC Fight Night against the former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.

Kamaru Usman Profile

Kamaru Usman is an American-Nigerian mixed martial arts fighter who is also a wrestler and competes in the UFC welterweight division. Usman was born on May 11, 1987, in Auchi, Nigeria, before relocating to the United States at a young age. He learned to wrestle in high school and won the NCAA Division II national title in 2010.

In 2015, Usman joined the UFC by winning The Ultimate Fighting Championship 21 and began demonstrating his dominance. Usman became a champion when he beat Tyron Woodley in 2019. He successfully defended his UFC Welterweight Championship against other great competitors, including Colby Covington, Gilbert Burns, and Jorge Masvidal. He also holds the record for the longest winning streak in UFC welterweight history, with the best takedown defense rate. But Usman lost the UFC Welterweight title to Leon Edwards in 2022. He later made his middleweight debut against Khamzat Chimaev in 2023, was narrowly defeated, and returned to the welterweight category. After beating Joaquin Buckley in 2025, he will compete in the middleweight division against Dricus du Plessis.

Du Plessis vs. Usman: Prediction

There is an exciting fight night coming up for Dricus du Plessis and Kamaru Usman. The two former champions in their respective divisions are set to clash. Du Plessis will be hoping to bounce back after losing his middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev. On the other hand, Usman is capable of fighting the elite fighter. Although Usman has excellent skills, fighting Du Plessis at middleweight will be a tough challenge for him.

Usman could find success if he were able to control the fight early. However, Du Plessis has consistently proven himself against the top contenders, which gives him a narrow edge in this matchup.

Pick: Dricus du Plessis by unanimous decision.