Dricus du Plessis Wins Over Kamaru Usman, Sparks Retirement Talk

Dricus du Plessis has defeated Kamaru Usman in a middleweight bout at UFC Oklahoma City, leaving the former welterweight champion to consider retirement.

Is Dricus du Plessis ducking Brendan Allen?

Brendan Allen has accused Dricus du Plessis of ducking him, opting instead for a fight against Kamaru Usman. Allen stated that du Plessis sought an "easier" fight against Usman.

Does Dricus du Plessis' coach use secret Afrikaans code to direct UFC tactics?

Morné Visser, du Plessis' coach, has allegedly used a secret Afrikaans code to direct UFC tactics. However, the details of this code remain unclear.

Kamaru Usman Reflects on Retirement After Loss to Dricus du Plessis

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is considering retirement following his recent unanimous decision loss against Dricus du Plessis in their middleweight main event bout at UFC Oklahoma City on July 18. The loss to du Plessis marked his second middleweight bout, having previously lost a majority decision to Khamzat Chimaev on short notice. Before that, he lost his welterweight title to Leon Edwards in 2022 and dropped the immediate rematch. Usman had returned to form with a win over Joaquin Buckley in 2025 before his recent defeat.

Kamaru mentioned his post-fight thought process during the latest episode of the "Pound 4 Pound" podcast he co-hosts with former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo. "Listen, I'm just, right now, I have to just sit with the coaches, sit with the team, assess kind of everything and just assess the place where I'm at in my career," he said. "Just, all in all, just see if it's worth continuing to do this. Whether it's worth continuing to put them through that," he continued, referring to his coaches and family. "Because I've never really gone out there and not represented them appropriately."

The former champion's comments reflect a deep internal struggle, as he is weighing the toll the sport takes not just on his physical and mental state, but on his team and loved ones. "I've got to really go back, sit with the team, sit with family and assess and decide," he said. "When you've achieved so much, and you've got so much highs in the sport, when you start to feel the lows, it's not that great."

The scorecards read 50-45, 49-46.

• Kamaru Usman is considering retirement after a loss to Dricus du Plessis.
• Dricus du Plessis' coach Morné Visser allegedly uses a secret Afrikaans code to direct UFC tactics.
• Brendan Allen accuses Dricus du Plessis of ducking him.