Kamaru Usman faces Dricus du Plessis tonight with welterweight title on the line

Kamaru Usman steps into the cage tonight against Dricus du Plessis in the UFC Oklahoma City main event, a high-stakes welterweight bout that could reshape the division.

What’s on the line for Kamaru Usman?

Usman moves up to middleweight if he beats du Plessis, positioning himself for a shot at UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland. The Nigerian star already owns a 2017 win over Strickland at welterweight, a result that still counts toward a potential title fight.

Makhachev picks du Plessis to win UFC OKC

UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev told Murad Machaev he expects du Plessis to take the decision. “It’s going to be a tough fight. He’ll probably try to wrestle… To be honest, I think du Plessis wins,” Makhachev said. Usman’s knees are bad, he can’t wrestle constantly.”

Betting odds back Makhachev’s call

With the fight hours away, du Plessis sits as a -200 favorite while Usman is a +175 underdog. The odds have tightened all week, yet du Plessis remains the betting favorite heading into the cage.

Why Usman’s move up could pay off

Makhachev argued Usman made a smart risk by moving up. “Kamaru Usman made a smart move, I was wondering why he moved up but if he beats Du Plessis he’ll become the next title contender because he already has a win over Sean Strickland,” Makhachev said. A victory would vault Usman into the middleweight title picture.

Usman needs to wrestle consistently and control du Plessis on the mat to pull the upset. Tonight’s fight is no gimme, even with the odds stacked against him.