A middleweight bout between champion Dricus Du Plessis and former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is currently in negotiations and could take place in July. The source of this report is KevinK. If this fight materializes, it raises questions about what opponent would be next for rising contender Caio Borralho, who has been positioning himself for a title shot. The post does not provide additional details about the status of negotiations or potential event location.
Middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis and former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman are reportedly in negotiations for a bout that could take place in July, though no official announcement has been made.
Du Plessis, 32, carries a 23-3-0 record and holds the middleweight title, currently ranked second in the division and seventh pound-for-pound. The South African fighter out of Team CIT operates out of a switch stance and stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach. He lands 5.18 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy and adds a credible grappling dimension, averaging 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Usman, 39, enters at 21-4-0 and is ranked eighth at welterweight, making this reported matchup a move up to middleweight for "The Nigerian Nightmare." Fighting out of Kill Cliff FC, the American veteran also carries a 76-inch reach at six feet tall. He averages 4.36 significant strikes per minute with 52 percent accuracy and has historically been one of the sport's elite wrestlers, averaging 2.82 takedowns per 15 minutes.
The report also raises questions about Caio Borralho's path to a title shot should this fight come together. "The Natural," ranked fourth at middleweight, holds an 18-2-0 record and has been positioning himself as next in line for Du Plessis. The 33-year-old Brazilian southpaw lands 3.44 significant strikes per minute at a sharp 56 percent accuracy rate.
Why it matters
- Du Plessis defending against Usman rather than a ranked middleweight contender would delay the division's title picture
- A Usman win would represent a remarkable comeback and an immediate title reign at a second weight class
- Borralho, currently ranked fourth, would need a new path forward if this negotiation concludes successfully
- The report remains unconfirmed, and no event location or specific date has been disclosed
