The UFC is set to return to Oklahoma City for the first time in nearly a decade, with a main event featuring former champions Dricus Du Plessis and Kamaru Usman. The event, taking place at Paycom Center, will also include a co-main event between middleweight contenders Jared Cannonier and Christian Leroy Duncan.
Du Plessis, who weighed in at 185.5 pounds, will face Usman, who weighed 186 pounds, in a middleweight bout scheduled for five rounds. Usman, a former UFC welterweight titleholder, is making another appearance in the middleweight division after a majority decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev in October 2023. Du Plessis also enters Saturday’s headlining bout off his title fight loss to Chimaev last August.
Main Event Matchup
The main event is anticipated to hinge on Du Plessis’s adjustments from his previous fight against Chimaev. Usman is recognized for his wrestling abilities, and he possesses the skills to control Du Plessis on the mat. However, the physical differences between the two fighters are noted as a significant factor. Usman is 39 years old and has been less active than in previous periods of his career, returning to a division 15 pounds heavier than his former 170-pound welterweight division.
Du Plessis, at 32 years old, is described as being in the prime of his career. He is characterized as a modern-day bruiser who aims to inflict damage from various angles. While Usman has an underrated striking game, featuring a strong jab, many aspects of the matchup outside of wrestling are seen as favoring Du Plessis.
The event’s main card also features a lightweight bout between Chase Hooper and Mitch Ramirez. Hooper weighed in at 157.5 pounds, exceeding the lightweight limit by 1.5 pounds, and will forfeit 20 percent of his purse to Ramirez, who weighed 155.5 pounds. Hooper brings significant experience for his age and has shown improvement in his striking, complementing his submission and scrambling abilities.
Additional Bouts and Prelims
In the co-main event, Jared Cannonier, weighing 185 pounds, will compete against Christian Leroy Duncan, who weighed 185.5 pounds. Duncan, meanwhile, enters the fight on a four-fight win streak. Duncan is described as being faster and younger, with considerable momentum.
Other main card matchups include a women’s strawweight bout between Tabatha Ricci (116 pounds) and Fatima Kline (115.5 pounds), and a featherweight bout featuring Tommy McMillen (146 pounds) against Alberto Montes (146 pounds). Kline is considered a talented striker who has also developed strong groundwork, while Montes is seen as a more polished fighter compared to McMillen.
The preliminary card includes several fights, such as Austin Bashi (145 pounds) versus Jose Miguel Delgado (146 pounds) in a featherweight bout, and Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani (171 pounds) against SeokHyeon Ko (169 pounds) in a welterweight contest. Ezra Elliott weighed in at 147.5 pounds for his featherweight bout against Damien Anderson (146 pounds). The event will stream live on Paramount+, with prelims starting at 5 pm ET / 2 pm PT and the main card at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT on Saturday, July 18.
Source: sports.yahoo.com