Dricus du Plessis secured a unanimous decision victory over Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC Oklahoma City. The event marked the Octagon’s return to Oklahoma City after a period of over nine years, taking place at the Paycom Center. Du Plessis, a former middleweight titleholder, expressed his desire for another opportunity to challenge current UFC champion Sean Strickland.
The judges’ scorecards for the main event were 50-45, and 49-46 twice, all in favor of du Plessis. Following the fight, Usman acknowledged having an off night, stating that such occurrences are rare for him. He did not rule out future fights in either the 170-pound or 185-pound weight classes.
Middleweight Division Showdown
The highly anticipated matchup between du Plessis and Usman featured two former champions aiming to solidify their positions within the competitive middleweight division. Du Plessis entered the fight following a loss to Khamzat Chimaev, which ended his unbeaten streak in the UFC and his 11-fight winning run. This marked his first loss in nearly seven years, raising questions about his return to a non-title fight.
Usman’s appearance was his first in 13 months and his full-scale debut at middleweight. He had previously made a short-notice appearance in the division at UFC 294, where he challenged Chimaev. Earlier, Usman secured a win over Joaquin Buckley in Atlanta, utilizing his wrestling skills. Both fighters have a history with the current middleweight champion, Strickland, with Usman having defeated him during his welterweight career.
Additional Main Card Bouts
The event’s co-main event also featured a middleweight contest, with Jared Cannonier facing Christian Leroy Duncan. Cannonier, a veteran of the roster for 12 years and in the middleweight division for eight, has maintained a ranking since his divisional debut at UFC 230. He earned a championship opportunity against Israel Adesanya at UFC 276 and has since split his last six fights, including a knockout victory over Gregory Rodrigues and a win against the current champion, Strickland.
Duncan arrived in the promotion with an unbeaten record, though his initial UFC tenure saw an uneven start. He later secured a series of wins, including consecutive spinning attack finishes, before achieving a unanimous decision victory over Roman Dolidze in March. This fight was seen as a significant matchup within a changing middleweight landscape.
In the lightweight division, Chase Hooper met Mitch Ramirez. Both fighters began their journeys through Dana White’s Contender Series. Hooper, who moved to lightweight in the spring of 2023, achieved five consecutive wins, including three finishes and a decision victory over Jim Miller, but had faltered in his two most recent outings. Ramirez, after facing Carlos Prates on the Contender Series, earned his spot in the UFC following a first-round stoppage win in his subsequent fight. He entered the Oklahoma City event looking to end a two-fight skid.
The main card opener featured Tommy McMillen against Alberto Montes, both graduates of consecutive Contender Series seasons. McMillen, from the Class of ’25, maintained an unblemished record with a first-round stoppage win over Manolo Zecchini in April, earning a Performance of the Night bonus. Montes, a part of the Season 8 graduating class, made his debut in March, securing a second-round technical submission win over Ricky Turcios.
Preliminary Card Highlights
The preliminary card included several matchups across various divisions. In a strawweight bout, Tabatha Ricci faced Fatima Kline. Other preliminary fights featured Austin Bashi against Jose Miguel Delgado, Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani against SeokHyeon Ko, and Levi Rodrigues facing Felipe Franco. Additionally, Alden Coria competed against Stewart Nicoll, RJ Harris against Alvin Hines, and Anna Melisano against Dione Barbosa.
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Source: sports.yahoo.com
