UFC Oklahoma City Preview: Du Plessis vs. Usman Headlines UFC’s Return to Paycom Center
By Real Combat Media MMA Editorial Staff
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, (July 18th, 2026)–The Octagon touches down in Oklahoma City for the first time in almost a decade on Saturday, and the promotion has brought two former champions to christen it. Dricus Du Plessis meets Kamaru Usman in a middleweight main event at Paycom Center, with a stacked twelve-fight card underneath featuring rising prospects, gatekeepers, and two late scratches from the scale. Preacher’s staff has the full card, the tale of the tape, and the film study below.
Full Fight Card
Main Card (Paramount+, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT)
Middleweight (Main Event, 5 Rounds): Dricus Du Plessis (185.5, 23-3, 9-1 UFC) vs. Kamaru Usman (186, 21-4, 16-3 UFC)
Middleweight (Co-Main Event): Jared Cannonier (185, 18-9) vs. Christian Leroy Duncan (185.5, 14-2)
Lightweight: Chase Hooper (157.5*, 16-5-1) vs. Mitch Ramirez (155.5, 8-3)
Women’s Strawweight: Tabatha Ricci (116, 12-4) vs. Fatima Kline (115.5, 9-1)
Featherweight: Tommy McMillen (146, 10-0) vs. Alberto Montes (146, 10-1)
Preliminary Card (Paramount+, 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT)
Featherweight: Austin Bashi (145, 14-1) vs. Jose Miguel Delgado (146)
Welterweight: Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani (171**, 9-2) vs. SeokHyeon Ko (169, 13-2)
Light Heavyweight: Levi Rodrigues Jr. (206, 5-0, 1 NC) vs. Felipe Franco (205, 10-2)
Flyweight: Alden Coria (126, 12-3, 1 NC) vs. Stewart Nicoll (126, 8-3)
Heavyweight: RJ Harris (262.5, 5-0) vs. Alvin Hines (264, 7-1)
Women’s Flyweight: Anna Melisano (126, 6-1) vs. Dione Barbosa (125, 9-4, 3-2 UFC)
Featherweight: Ezra Elliott (147.5***, 7-0) vs. Damien Anderson (146, 5-0)
*Hooper missed the lightweight limit by 1.5 pounds and forfeits 20 percent of his purse to Ramirez. The bout proceeds at catchweight.
**Lebosnoyani missed the welterweight limit.
***Elliott missed the featherweight limit by 1.5 pounds.
Tale of the Tape: Du Plessis vs. Usman
| Dricus Du Plessis | Kamaru Usman | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 23-3 (9-1 UFC) | 21-4 (16-3 UFC) |
| Age | 32 | 39 |
| Height | 6’1″ | 6’0″ |
| Reach | 76″ | 76″ |
| Stance | Switch | Orthodox |
Film Study: Main Event
Du Plessis walks in off the first real beatdown of his career, a one-sided decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 that cost him the title and snapped an 11-fight unbeaten run in the promotion. That result raises fair questions, but the resume underneath it is still loaded. He owns two wins over current champion Sean Strickland, plus victories over Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson, and Darren Till. His switch stance and 48 percent striking accuracy make him awkward to time, and eleven of his twenty-three wins have come by submission, a wrinkle a lot of scouting reports undersell.
Usman making his full-scale move to 185 pounds is the story here. His only previous middleweight look came on short notice against Chimaev at UFC 294, where he pushed the pace further than expected. He returns off a 20-month layoff and a decision win over Joaquin Buckley last June, a fight where he leaned harder on his wrestling than he had in years. At 39, Usman is seven years older than Du Plessis and moving up in weight for good, but he is also a Hall of Fame-level talent with a track record of solving problems late in fights. Both men have already beaten Strickland, which tells you exactly what is at stake. The winner has the loudest voice in the middleweight title conversation.
Film Study: Co-Main Event
Jared Cannonier has settled into the role of division gatekeeper, and there is no shame in that, given the résumé: a knockout of Gregory Rodrigues and a win over the man who currently holds the belt, Sean Strickland. He has dropped three of his last four, most recently a one-sided beatdown at the hands of Michael Page, and at 42 the tank is the obvious question mark.
Christian Leroy Duncan arrived in the UFC with hype and an unbeaten record, then stumbled to a 3-2 start that tempered expectations. He has rebuilt in 2025 and 2026 with four straight wins, including back-to-back spinning-attack finishes and a clear decision over Roman Dolidze in March. He is younger, longer, and busier than Cannonier, and this fight looks like a referendum on whether the veteran can still turn away a rising contender or whether the changing of the guard at 185 continues.
Film Study: Rest of the Main Card
Hooper vs. Ramirez: Hooper has dropped back-to-back fights, both first-round TKO losses, and needs to get back to the grappling that got him into the UFC in the first place. Ramirez is winless through two Octagon appearances, but both losses came by TKO against legitimate competition in Carlos Prates and Mike Davis. Hooper has finished 12 of his 16 career wins, and Ramirez finishes at an 87.5 percent clip, so betting the under on time here is a rough way to make a living.
Ricci vs. Kline: Ricci (12-4) steps in on short notice for the injured Amanda Ribas, coming off a decision loss and still ranked in the strawweight top ten. Kline (9-1) is a genuine riser, unbeaten across her last three and fighting with the kind of confidence that comes from finding her range at 115 pounds.
McMillen vs. Montes: McMillen is a perfect 10-0 and training out of Red Hawk Academy alongside Sean O’Malley, a pedigree that has people projecting stardom. Montes is 10-1 and coming off a slick second-round submission of TUF winner Ricky Turcios after spending all of 2025 out of action. This is a legitimate 50-50 featherweight prospect fight.
Prelims Rundown
Bashi vs. Delgado: Bashi rebounded from his lone pro loss, a UFC debut setback, with a first-round finish. Delgado has finished 10 of his 11 career wins and is 3-1 through his first four Octagon appearances.
Lebosnoyani vs. Ko: Both riding win streaks and both coming off victories over the same opponent, Phil Rowe, in their most recent outings.
Rodrigues vs. Franco: Rodrigues remains unbeaten on paper after a no-contest overturned a finish due to a positive drug test. Franco moves back up to light heavyweight after a competitive UFC debut loss in London.
Coria vs. Nicoll: Coria trains alongside flyweight champion Joshua Van and is 2-0 in the UFC with finishes both times. Nicoll is winless through three Octagon appearances and is fighting for his job.
Harris vs. Hines: An all-American heavyweight clash between an undefeated newcomer stepping in on short notice and a sophomore looking for his first UFC win.
Melisano vs. Barbosa: Melisano jumps up a weight class on short notice to replace the injured Veronica Hardy. Barbosa looks to build on a win over compatriot Melissa Gatto in April.
Elliott vs. Anderson: A late add to fight week, pairing two undefeated featherweights making their UFC debuts.
Betting Odds
Du Plessis -245 to -260 / Usman +200 to +210
Cannonier +260 to +285 / Duncan -320 to -340
Hooper -380 to -390 / Ramirez +280 to +300
Ricci +370 / Kline -485
McMillen -120 / Montes plus money
Odds via DraftKings and FanDuel, current as of fight week and subject to movement.
21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Keys to Victory
Du Plessis: Push the pace early and often, use the switch stance to create angles, and make a 39-year-old work uncomfortable minutes across five rounds.
Usman: Mix levels and get the takedowns early to steal rounds before Du Plessis’s volume takes over, and lean on 25 minutes of championship experience.
Cannonier: Stay patient behind power, make Duncan respect adjustments before committing to exchanges.
Duncan: Use the reach and output advantage, keep a high pace to test the 42-year-old’s tank in the second half.
Watch
Weigh-In Highlights | UFC Oklahoma City
‘I Am Kamaru Usman’s Worst Nightmare!’ | UFC Oklahoma City Media Day
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