Dricus Du
Plessis claims he put pen to paper for his next fight a while
ago, and that the delay is down to his fellow former champ.
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“Stillknocks” is widely rumored to be facing former welterweight
champion Kamaru
Usman at UFC Oklahoma City on July 18. However, the UFC has yet
to announce the fight officially. Du Plessis recently accused his
upcoming opponent of stalling things on their part. Du Plessis
claimed that Usman’s slowness in signing the bout agreement
indicates a lack of confidence in his chances of winning, writing
on Instagram:
“So apparently a little someone agreed to a fight but actually
signing the dotted line isn’t that easy when you know you’re just
signing for a show purse. Smart-Yes Scared- Definitely Sorry people
the announcement is taking longer than expected but from my side
it’s been signed and sealed for a while.”
Du Plessis (23-3) won the title against Sean
Strickland in 2024, then defended it twice, against Israel
Adesanya and in a rematch with Strickland. The South African
lost his title to Khamzat
Chimaev last August, and hasn’t fought since. Meanwhile, Usman
(21-4) rebounded from a three-fight skid with a win over Joaquin
Buckley last June, which also marked his return to action after
20 months.
UFC Fight Night 281, also known as UFC Oklahoma City, takes place
July 18 at Paycom Center. While the final lineup, including the
headliner, has yet to be finalized, the card already has several
notable veteran-versus-prospect matchups including Kevin
Holland vs. Jacobe
Smith in a welterweight feature and former middleweight title
challenger Jared
Cannonier facing rising UK contender Christian
Leroy Duncan.