Usman Eyes 185-Pound Title Shot Against Du Plessis at UFC Oklahoma City

Q: Will Kamaru Usman's bold move to middleweight at 39 lead to another title or signal the end of an era?

Usman’s move looks more like a last real title push than a farewell tour, but the Du Plessis fight will likely decide which it becomes. There is a credible case for another run. Usman remains one of the most accomplished champions of his era, and his short-notice middleweight showing against Khamzat Chimaev suggested he can compete with elite 185-pounders. He also comes in with less strain from weight cutting, something that matters at 39, and his wrestling remains the clearest tactical threat against Du Plessis, who was beaten by Chimaev’s grappling. A win over the former champion, currently ranked near the top of the division, would put Usman directly into the title conversation against Sean Strickland, a man he has beaten before. But the risks are just as clear. Usman is 39, returning from a long layoff, and entering a division where he may be undersized against natural middleweights. Du Plessis is younger, bigger, and still near his physical peak despite losing the belt to Chimaev. Betting markets favor Du Plessis, reflecting the view that Usman’s margin for error is now very small. So the most likely answer is this: if Usman beats Du Plessis, the middleweight move will be validated immediately and another title shot becomes realistic. If he loses clearly, especially if he cannot impose his wrestling or handle the size, it will be hard to argue this is anything other than the closing chapter of an exceptional career.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jul 17

39-year-old Kamaru Usman says beating former middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis on Saturday would earn him a UFC title shot at 185 pounds.
That claim rests on a crowded welterweight picture: Usman is No. 10 at 170, unranked at middleweight, and was passed over after beating Joaquin Buckley 13 months ago.
Du Plessis, ranked No. 2 at 185, also enters in limbo after losing the belt to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319, with a win over a former welterweight offering no clear path back.
Usman named Sean Strickland or Islam Makhachev as logical next opponents if he wins, though contenders including Nassourdine Imavov, Caio Borralho and Joe Pyfer still stand ahead in the queue.
The Oklahoma City main event thus pits two ex-champions in divisional purgatory, with Usman chasing a late-career shortcut to two-division contention.