Dricus Du Plessis says UFC Oklahoma City deal took convincing from Kamaru Usman

A UFC Oklahoma City headliner has added an unusual layer of pre-fight friction. Dricus Du Plessis, the former UFC middleweight champion who will fight Kamaru Usman in the main event on July 18, said Usman “didn't want to sign the contract,” describing it as something UFC officials had to work through to get the matchup finalized.

Du Plessis, speaking in comments attributed to, framed his claim as firsthand and categorical. He said he “kn[ew] that for a fact” and that the UFC told him they “finally convinced him to sign,” adding that if an athlete needs convincing to take a bout, “that's a problem.” He also suggested that, from Usman's perspective, refusing might have been strategically sound, saying he also “wouldn't want to fight me right now.”

The matchup itself carries a clear strategic storyline because of the weight-class shift. Usman, a former welterweight champion, is described as headed to 185 pounds at UFC Oklahoma City, stepping into the middleweight division for this headliner. The move is presented as a first return to the middleweight limit since he last fought at that mark in 2021.

Du Plessis is returning to the Octagon after a significant title change in the middleweight picture. He is described as making his first appearance since relinquishing the middleweight strap to Khamzat Chimaev following a unanimous decision loss at UFC 319 last August. That loss, characterized in the report as lopsided, sets Du Plessis' motivation: a win over a high-profile former champion would reinsert him at the center of the 185-pound conversation.

For Usman, the report frames the Oklahoma City bout as a bridge between eras and divisions. It says he will fight Du Plessis after dropping a majority decision to Chimaev at UFC 294 in October 2021, and that this fight will mark his middleweight return after a stretch competing at welterweight rules. In practical terms, the main event becomes not just a clash of names, but a test of how well a star built at welterweight can adjust to the pace, reach, and finishing windows associated with middleweight.

The date and location also matter in how the UFC will position the promotion. The headliner is slated for July 18 at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, setting this fight as a centerpiece for that card, with Du Plessis and Usman presented in the report as the featured matchup. With weight-class context already in play, the promotional emphasis is likely to focus on whether Usman’s size and wrestling base translate cleanly at 185, and whether Du Plessis can capitalize on the moment to reassert himself in a crowded division.

As for the contract comments, they do not change the matchup itself, but they do offer a window into the personalities involved and the negotiation dynamics around elite fights. The next clear milestone will be the lead-in to UFC Oklahoma City, where the pre-fight build, weigh-in framing, and corner gameplans will show how both camps respond to the idea that the deal was hard to finalize.

For now, Du Plessis’ comments stand as a high-profile claim about reluctance and persuasion around the contract. Whether the fighters interpret it the same way publicly, and how the fight plays out stylistically, will determine whether the narrative becomes a footnote or the first chapter in a longer middleweight storyline.