Dana White Breaks Silence on Kamaru Usman’s UFC Future After Dricus Du Plessis Loss
Kamaru Usman’s future became a talking point after the former UFC welterweight champion went five rounds with Dricus Du Plessis at UFC Oklahoma City. The matchup placed the 39-year-old across from a former middleweight titleholder, and Dana White was asked where the result leaves the veteran moving forward.
Dana White does not believe Kamaru Usman should retire after his loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC Oklahoma City. The UFC CEO said “Usman “The Nigerian Nightmare” showed enough in defeat to take time away, recover and decide his next step rather than immediately call time on his career.
Dana White Gives Verdict on Kamaru Usman Retirement Talk After UFC Oklahoma City
Usman, the former UFC welterweight champion, met former middleweight titleholder Du Plessis in the UFC Oklahoma City main event on July 18. Du Plessis earned a unanimous decision after five rounds, handing Usman another setback during a run that has included defeats to Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev.
The fight came with a notable size gap. Du Plessis had built his UFC career at 185 pounds before the meeting, while the Nigerian-American spent his championship run at welterweight, where the limit is 170 pounds. White pointed directly to that factor when asked whether the result should lead Usman toward retirement.
“Obviously a great fight,” White said during the UFC post-fight press conference. “Kamaru was fighting a much bigger guy. And he’s got a great chin. He’s still got it. It’s not like, ‘Oh, Usman’s done, and he should retire.’ He had a great fight tonight. He’s got to go home, rest, heal up, and figure out what’s next.”
That response puts a pause on any rush to decide the 39-year-old’s future. White did not offer a potential opponent or confirm whether Usman will stay at middleweight or retire, but his comments made clear that he sees the former champion as capable of competing after a proper break.
Usman appeared frustrated with aspects of the decision after the bout, particularly one scorecard, and said an early shot affected his vision. He said the punch left him seeing double, adding another factor to consider when reviewing his performance against Du Plessis.
The result also marked a defining win for Du Plessis after losing the UFC middleweight title earlier in his career arc. He used pressure, volume and his physical frame to control long stretches of the contest, while Usman stayed in the fight across all five rounds.
For the Nigerian-American, the immediate job is simple according to White. It’s time to heal, assess the weight class and decide whether another title run, a return to welterweight or a different matchup makes the most sense. White’s position is that one loss to a larger former champion is no reason for “The Nigerian Nightmare” to hang up his gloves.
