Du Plessis and Usman headline UFC Oklahoma City event
Main Event: Du Plessis vs. Usman
The Paycom Center in Oklahoma City hosts a 12-fight card, featuring a middleweight main event between former champions Dricus Du Plessis and Kamaru Usman. Both fighters aim to establish their position in the middleweight division.
Du Plessis enters the bout following his first loss in nearly seven years, a defeat to Khamzat Chimaev that ended his unbeaten run in the UFC and his 11-fight winning streak. This loss cost him the middleweight title, raising questions about his return to non-title matchups.
Usman makes his full middleweight debut after a 13-month absence from the Octagon. His last appearance was a short-notice fight at UFC 294 against Chimaev, where he pushed his opponent to the limit. Usman secured a win over Joaquin Buckley last June, utilizing his wrestling skills.
The middleweight division has seen recent changes, with Du Plessis holding two wins over current titleholder Sean Strickland, and Usman having previously defeated Strickland in his welterweight career. With Strickland’s next title defense not yet announced, this fight could position either Du Plessis or Usman as a potential challenger.
Additional Main Card Bouts
The co-main event features a middleweight clash between Jared Cannonier and Christian Leroy Duncan. Cannonier, a consistent presence in the rankings and a former title challenger, has been in the division for eight years. He holds a 5-1 record from his initial fights at middleweight, leading to a championship opportunity at UFC 276. Since then, Cannonier has split his last six fights, including a knockout win over Gregory Rodrigues and a victory against Sean Strickland.
Duncan, who arrived in the promotion with an undefeated record, had an uneven start to his UFC tenure. However, he recorded three wins in 2025, including consecutive spinning attack finishes, extending his winning streak to four with a unanimous decision over Roman Dolidze in March. This fight will help determine if Cannonier can maintain his standing or if Duncan will continue his ascent in the rankings.
The lightweight division will see Chase Hooper face Mitch Ramirez. Both fighters began their paths to the Octagon through Dana White’s Contender Series. Hooper, who earned a developmental contract, achieved five consecutive wins after moving to lightweight in spring 2023, including a decision victory over Jim Miller. However, he has since experienced two consecutive first-round losses.
Ramirez, who previously faced Carlos Prates on the Contender Series, earned his UFC call-up after a first-round stoppage win in a subsequent fight. He has lost his first two UFC appearances and aims to end his skid against Hooper. This matchup is anticipated to be an action-packed contest, with Hooper having finished 12 of his 16 career wins and Ramirez boasting an 87.5-percent finishing rate.
The main card opens with a featherweight bout between Tommy McMillen and Alberto Montes, both graduates of consecutive Contender Series seasons. McMillen, from the Class of ’25, secured a first-round stoppage win over Manolo Zecchini in his UFC debut in April, earning a Performance of the Night bonus. Montes, a part of the Season 8 graduating class, made his debut in March with a second-round technical submission win over Ricky Turcios, bringing his overall record to 10-1.
Preliminary Card Highlights
The preliminary card features several matchups across various divisions. In a strawweight bout, Tabatha Ricci is scheduled to face Fatima Kline. Other preliminary fights include Austin Bashi against Jose Miguel Delgado, Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani facing SeokHyeon Ko, and Levi Rodrigues taking on Felipe Franco.
Further preliminary card action includes Alden Coria battling Stewart Nicoll, RJ Harris against Alvin Hines, and Anna Melisano competing with Dione Barbosa. The event marks the return of the Octagon to Oklahoma City for the first time in over nine years.
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Source: ufc.com
