OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - JULY 18: (L-R) Dricus Du Plessis of South Africa punches Kamaru Usman of Nigeria in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Paycom Center on July 18, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Dricus du Plessis has never looked better. Last night (Sat., July 18, 2026), du Plessis bludgeoned former pound-for-pound king Kamaru Usman for the large majority of five rounds in their UFC Oklahoma City main event matchup. It was exactly the kind of rebound performance that du Plessis needed after taking most of a year to lick his wounds following that embarrassing Khamzat Chimaev loss, because “DDP” showed real growth. Has the du Plessis jab ever looked better? “Stillknocks” is known for his hulking southpaw jab, the strangely leaping shot that stopped Robert Whittaker back in the day (watch here). Against Usman, du Plessis was both stabbing the jab through Usman’s nose and crashing forward with the strike, and he did it from both stances. Often, du Plessis was feinting the rear hand then exploding into the jab, a technique that levels the shoulders to add power and reach into more of a shotgun jab. It landed many times in the opening round alone, and du Plessis quickly built from the jab. Analysts are constantly begging fighters to close distance with the double jab-right hand, and the South African landed that exact combination numerous times. Once the clubbing right was established, du Plessis extended combinations and was thumping Usman upside the head with followup hooks. Add in several hard counter uppercuts, and it’s fair to say du Plessis’ famously unorthodox boxing has never been sharper. Maybe if the referee doesn’t intervene for a perfectly legal right hook to the eyeball, his improved boxing produces a knockout? Either way, a lot of people expected Usman’s stiff jab and cracking 1-2 to give “DDP” pause on the feet, and that never really happened. Du Plessis’ kicks were especially on point as well. His left leg is famously quick and surprisingly dextrous, and it smashed into Usman’s face a half-dozen times last night, stunning Usman multiple times across 25 minutes. What I’ve always loved about du Plessis’ kicking attack is that he’s an equal opportunist. He kicks all levels and is just as happy to rattle the forearms as he is to land flush on the liver, and that willingness to destroy the target in front of him saw him rock Usman though the guard repeatedly. Usman is apparently made of steel, but I can guarantee “The Nigerian Nightmare” woke up Sunday morning in pain from head to toe. Finally, du Plessis didn’t concede a single takedown in 25 minutes of action per the official UFC stats. Usman came close once with a big double leg lift, but “DDP” popped back up so quickly that it essentially never happened. Generally, du Plessis’ responses to takedowns appear to have improved. He used his frames well to limp leg free from single legs, and if Usman gained more purchase on his thigh, du Plessis was dedicated to stuffing the head and getting heavy with his hips. That’s fundamental wrestling, but fundamentals were exactly what he lacked in the Khamzat loss. Beating down Usman was intended to serve as evidence that du Plessis has improved in the areas that “Borz” exploited. Clearly, the South African has worked hard to fill the gaps, but the question remains: is it enough? At the moment, the Chimaev shadow still hangs over du Plessis even if du Plessis is very arguably the best Middleweight on the planet right now. “Stillknocks” has two wins over the current champion after all and would be the odds-on favorite over every other Middleweight on the UFC roster to boot … with the very notable exception of Khamzat Chimaev. Despite du Plessis’ efforts, it’s hard to compare Khamzat to anyone else. The Chechen shoots with an unmatched ferocity and speed, certainly incomparable to Usman’s snatch single. Even if I believe du Plessis has the tools to trouble Khamzat and his questionable gas tank, it’s going to be a tremendously hard sell after the first fight. Du Plessis’ situation makes it hard to match the South African moving forward. He would be widely favored to defeat Sean Strickland — the most unchanging fighter on the entire roster — in a third fight, and yet there’s no rush to see him wrestled by Khamzat a second time. This awkward purgatory hinders his chances at a title shot even following a dominant victory. For complete UFC Oklahoma City results and play-by-play, click here.