Kamaru Usman Suffers Lopsided Loss to Dricus du Plessis in Middleweight Return at UFC Fight Night 281

Kamaru Usman’s bid to become a two-division threat hit a wall on Saturday night. The former UFC welterweight champion dropped a lopsided unanimous decision to Dricus du Plessis in the middleweight main event of UFC Fight Night 281, with all three judges scoring the fight comfortably in du Plessis’ favor at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.

Usman, one of the most decorated welterweights in UFC history, moved up to 185 pounds after the promotion passed him over for a welterweight title shot, instead booking Islam Makhachev’s first defense against Ian Machado Garry. Rather than sit and wait behind Makhachev, the 39-year-old Nigerian opted to chase a faster path to gold at middleweight, calling himself a “moneyweight” fighter unconcerned with which division he competes in.

Du Plessis Dominates From Bell to Bell

The judges saw it as a near-shutout, with scorecards reading 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46 in favor of du Plessis. It was the former middleweight champion’s return to the cage after an 11-month layoff following his own title loss to Khamzat Chimaev last August, and he made a statement, neutralizing Usman’s wrestling pedigree and out-striking him over five rounds.

Du Plessis, now 24-3 overall and 10-1 in the UFC, said before the fight that he needed to answer questions about his takedown defense after Chimaev controlled him for the majority of their title bout. Against Usman, a former NCAA Division II national wrestling champion, he did exactly that, stuffing takedown attempts and forcing the action to unfold largely on the feet and in exchanges where he held a clear physical advantage.

“You guys deserve fights like these, not guys lying on top of other guys to get some dumbass decision win,” du Plessis told the crowd in his post-fight Octagon interview. “Thank you, Kamaru Usman, for bringing the best out in me, and thank you for giving your life up over so many years to entertain these fans. I’m back in the winner’s circle, baby. Let’s get my belt back.”

A Costly Setback for Usman’s Two-Division Push

The loss drops Usman to 21-5 overall and 16-4 in the UFC, and it marks his second unsuccessful trip to middleweight. His first came in October 2023, when he stepped in on 10 days’ notice against Chimaev at UFC 294 and lost a close majority decision. This time, with a full camp and the fight booked well in advance, Usman still could not solve du Plessis’ improved wrestling and physicality at the higher weight.

Despite the result, the fight was rewarded with a $100,000 Fight of the Night bonus, a nod to the pace and intensity both men brought over 25 minutes. Usman is widely regarded as one of the greatest welterweights of all time, holding the UFC record for longest welterweight title reign and the division’s takedown defense record at 97.3 percent. He has history with current middleweight champion Sean Strickland, whom he beat by unanimous decision in 2017, but Saturday’s loss pushes any middleweight title conversation well out of reach for now.

What Comes Next

Du Plessis wasted no time positioning himself for another crack at the belt he lost to Chimaev, calling for a trilogy fight and pointing to his two career wins over Strickland as validation. “I said a win wouldn’t get me a title shot, but damned if a performance like that would give me a title shot,” du Plessis said afterward, adding that he considers himself back in the thick of the 185-pound title picture.

For Usman, the road forward is murkier. A move back down to welterweight remains possible given his standing in that division, though back-to-back setbacks at middleweight complicate any argument for staying at 185. At 39, he has openly acknowledged the clock is working against him, saying before the fight that he wanted “the biggest and the best opportunity” for himself while he still has time left at the top level. Whether that means a return to 170 pounds or another run at middleweight remains an open question the UFC will have to answer in the coming weeks.

The rest of the UFC Fight Night 281 card also saw Christian Leroy Duncan defeat Jared Cannonier by unanimous decision, while Chase Hooper finished Mitch Ramirez by first-round submission. Both results add intrigue further down the middleweight and lightweight rankings, even as the night’s headline storyline belonged to du Plessis and his renewed push for gold.

Bettors weighing futures markets on the middleweight and welterweight divisions will want to track how the promotion handles both fighters’ next bookings, with du Plessis pushing hard for a rematch with Strickland and Usman facing a pivotal decision about where his career goes from here. Anyone looking to bet on the next UFC card can compare a DraftKings promo code or a FanDuel promo code before the next fight night lands.