Usman moving up to middleweight to face Du Plessis on July 18

          • Brett OkamotoJun 20, 2026, 10:32 PM ET
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              Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
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          Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman will move up to middleweight to face ex-champion Dricus Du Plessis at UFC Fight Night on July 18.

          UFC officials announced the 185-pound main event Saturday. The UFC Fight Night event takes place inside Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.

          Usman (21-4) spent the first half of this year campaigning hard for a welterweight title shot against Islam Makhachev. The UFC ultimately went in a different direction, however, booking Makhachev's first welterweight title defense against Ian Machado Garry in August.

          Rather than try to hold his spot in the welterweight rankings, Usman, 39, opted to move up.

          The former longtime 170-pound champion will have a phenomenal chance to assert himself in his new weight class. Du Plessis (23-3) defended the middleweight championship twice between 2024 and 2025 before losing a five-round decision to Khamzat Chimaev in August 2025. It was Du Plessis's first loss in the UFC after starting his career in the Octagon 9-0. He is still ranked No. 2 in the division.

          Usman has history with current middleweight champion Sean Strickland. He defeated Strickland by unanimous decision in April 2017, as the two were coming up in the welterweight division. Du Plessis, 32, also has a previous fight against Chimaev, one that he took on short notice in October 2023. Usman lost a three-round majority decision but performed well as an underdog replacement.