Dricus du Plessis shines but settles for decision in UFC Oklahoma City thriller

Dricus du Plessis turned in a masterclass against Kamaru Usman on Saturday night but had to settle for a decision after five rounds of cage warfare at UFC Fight Night 281 in Oklahoma City.

What happened?

The South African middleweight (24-3 MMA, 10-1 UFC) controlled the tempo early, rocked Usman with a left hook in the first, and nearly locked in a fight-ending guillotine late in the fourth. But the judges’ scorecards split 48-47, 48-47, and 47-48 in favor of Usman, leaving du Plessis with a unanimous decision win. The fight headlined a card that drew a new Paycom Center gate record and featured two former champions.

And the five stoppages on the night included two submissions and three TKOs, but none came from du Plessis. His best chance came when he nearly choked Usman unconscious in the fourth, only for the American to survive and rally in the fifth.

How did the other finishes stack up?

Chase Hooper’s rear-naked choke on Mitch Ramirez in 2:15 of round one earned the $25,000 stoppage bonus-until Hooper missed weight and forfeited the cash. Tommy McMillen’s third-round TKO of Alberto Montes (3:29) and Felipe Franco’s second-round stoppage of Levi Rodrigues (1:40) lit up the undercard. RJ Harris dropped Alvin Hines with a first-round punchout in 1:40, while Dione Barbosa submitted Alice Melisano via rear-naked choke at 4:04.

But du Plessis’s near-finishes stood out most. He landed 47 significant strikes to Usman’s 29 and outstrucked him 106-68 in total strikes. Yet the judges sided with Usman’s volume and aggression in the late rounds.

Why it matters for Dricus du Plessis

The 31-year-old from Pretoria keeps his momentum rolling after a five-fight UFC win streak. His performance against Usman-despite the decision-proved he belongs in the middleweight title conversation. The near-finish on the cards shows he’s still hunting for his first stoppage over a former champ in the Octagon.

And the card’s five stoppages kept the fans buzzing. Du Plessis’s showing, even in a decision, underlined his status as one of the division’s most dangerous finishers when he gets his hands around an opponent’s neck.

What comes next?

Du Plessis’s camp will review footage of his fourth-round guillotine attempt before plotting his next move. A title shot remains the goal, but the Usman scrap proved he can thrive even when a stoppage slips away.

The Oklahoma City crowd left with five finishes to debate-and one near-miss that could haunt du Plessis if he’s overlooked for the next pay-per-view main event.