South African fighter held the middleweight belt ⁠from January 2024 until mid-August 2025, when he lost to Chimaev.

Dricus Du Plessis ‌leaned on his South African roots in his first fight in nearly a year ⁠to secure ⁠a unanimous decision victory over Nigeria’s Kamaru Usman in the middleweight main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Oklahoma City.

The judges ⁠scored the bout 50-45, 49-46, 49-46 in favour of Du Plessis (24-3 MMA), who won his first nine UFC bouts and held the middleweight belt ⁠from January 2024 until mid-August 2025.

Du Plessis hadn’t fought since that win streak was snapped by Khamzat Chimaev, who remains champion.

“I had to get up,” the 32-year-old said. “There’s so many South African kids that look ‌up to me.

“It’s bigger than me, I can’t go lie down.”

In a fight fought upright with no successful takedowns or submission attempts, Du Plessis didn’t appear rusty whatsoever, finishing with a convincing 139-99 edge in total strikes and landed 136 significant strikes to Usman’s 92.

Usman (21-5) was the UFC welterweight champion for nearly three years from March 2019 to November 2021. ⁠However, the Nigerian, 39, has lost four of ⁠his last five fights, and couldn’t add a second straight win with his first fight in 13 months this weekend.

In the middleweight co-main event, England’s Christian Leroy Duncan (15-2) defeated Jared Cannonier (18-10 MMA) ⁠via unanimous decision. The scorecards read 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28 for Duncan.