Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis says that Kamaru Usman tried to duck him for their UFC Oklahoma City main event.
After several months of rumors swirling around the internet, the UFC finally announced that du Plessis vs. Usman is official for the UFC OKC main event, which takes place on July 18 at Paycom Center, the home of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder.
As for why it took so long for the UFC to officially announce the fight? Du Plessis says it’s because Usman did not want to sign the contract to fight him.
Dricus du Plessis Accuses Kamaru Usman of Trying to Duck Him
Speaking to Fight Forecast after his fight with Usman was officially announced for UFC Oklahoma City Thunder, du Plessis said the delay in announcing the fight was because Usman didn’t want to step into the Octagon against him.
“He didn’t want to sign the contract. I know that for a fact. You know, I spoke to the UFC and they said, ‘We finally convinced him to sign’. If you need convincing to sign, that’s a problem. But, I can’t blame him. I would also not want to fight me right now,” du Plessis said (via Bloody Elbow).
While du Plessis is still miffed that Usman took so long to sign on the dotted line, he’s happy that the fight is now official, and he’s looking forward to proving that he can beat a high-level wrestler like Usman after he was completely dominated by Khamzat Chimaev in his last fight at UFC 319.
“What’s it going to mean for me to go out there and beat another striker? I’ve done that many times. I’ve defended my belt against strikers. I’ve beaten the best, which is (Sean) Strickland at middleweight twice. So, why go out there and fight another striker? People are going to be like, ‘Yeah, okay, well we know he can fight, what about the wrestling and grappling?’ obviously because of my last fight. I want to go out there and prove what I’ve done,” du Plessis said.
Dricus du Plessis vs. Kamaru Usman Odds
The current betting odds for du Plessis vs. Usman at UFC Oklahoma City have du Plessis listed as a -350 favorite, with the comeback on Usman at +285.
The first thing to remember about this fight is that it’s taking place at middleweight, which is du Plessis’ home base. While Usman has fought at 185 lbs and has had some success in the weight class, he spent most of his career at welterweight as the champion of that weight class, so du Plessis should be the bigger fighter in this matchup.
Also, keep in mind that du Plessis is only 32 compared to 39 for Usman. While Usman did turn back the clock in his last fight against Joaquin Buckley last June, he’s now another year older, and at some point, the wheels are going to fall off.
Either way, this should be a very intriguing matchup between two former UFC champs, and UFC Oklahoma City can’t come soon enough.
Dricus du Plessis Says Kamaru Usman Tried to Duck Him