The Nigerian Nightmare Stands Tall – Kamaru Usman’s Full-Distance Battle With Dricus du Plessis
Kamaru Usman once again showed why he remains one of the most respected figures in MMA when he stepped up to middleweight to face former champion Dricus du Plessis across five rounds in the main event of UFC Fight Night 281 in Oklahoma City. The judges scored it 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46 for the South African, who moved his record to 24-3, while the Nigerian-American dropped to 21-5.
Du Plessis, competing for the first time since losing the middleweight belt to Khamzat Chimaev roughly a year earlier, came out with his kickboxing-style rhythm, stance switches, lead-leg high kicks and heavy right hands mixed in from odd angles.
“The Nigerian Nightmare” Usman, who moved up from welterweight to take the fight, absorbed a rough patch early and found himself defending strikes rather than hunting for the takedowns that built his career.
Kamaru Usman Goes the Distance With Dricus du Plessis at UFC Fight Night 281
Despite the size difference, Usman never stopped working. He adjusted behind his jab in the third and fourth rounds, mixed in body kicks and level changes, and had stretches where he pushed Du Plessis backward including a near knock-down moment towards the end of the fifth round.
The fight went the full 25 minutes, and Du Plessis finished with a clear statistical edge, 136 significant strikes landed to Usman’s 92, without either man attempting a takedown according to official stats. Both men were still throwing in the final minute, a sign of how competitive the pace stayed even as the scorecards leaned one way.
Du Plessis used his post-fight interview to praise Usman rather than talk up himself. “That’s a warrior who I will respect for the rest of my life,” he told the Paycom Center crowd. “Thank you, Kamaru Usman, for bringing the best out of me, and thank you for giving your life up over so many years to entertain these fans.” He offered high praise for the welterweight great.
The South African athlete also made his intentions clear for what comes next, telling the crowd, “I’m back in the winner’s circle, baby. Let’s get my belt back!”
Speaking to reporters afterward, the former welterweight champion credited his opponent’s size and awkward angles: “He’s a big boy, and I knew he was going to be tough, I said it all week. He’s a tough dude. But no excuses, it is what it is.”
Whatever happens next, Usman’s resume at welterweight speaks for itself. The Nigerian-American held the UFC welterweight title from March 2019 to August 2022, defending it five times against a run of top contenders that included Colby Covington twice, Jorge Masvidal twice, and Gilbert Burns, a defense total that stands among the highest at 170 pounds in UFC history.
That reign included a 15-fight winning streak inside the organization, and it only ended in the final minute of his rematch with Leon Edwards at UFC 278. Stepping up to middleweight against a fighter of Du Plessis’ caliber, and lasting all five rounds, fits a career built on testing himself against the best available names rather than picking easier paths.
Usman is a MelBet global partner, championing his attitude as a former UFC titleholder and one of the sport’s most respected competitors. MelBet’s collaborations with athletes tend to center on qualities like professionalism, discipline, leadership and long-term commitment. Usman’s showing against Du Plessis, taking a former middleweight champion to the scorecards, shows the kind of steady, professional approach they value in their partnerships.
Fights like this are why Usman’s partnership with MelBet works the way it does. Five rounds with a former middleweight champion, at a weight class that isn’t even his own, and he still walked out swinging in the closing seconds. That kind of showing carries more weight long term than a single scorecard, and it’s exactly the sort of professionalism and staying power MelBet has built its ambassador relationship with him around.
