A fight between middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis and former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is currently in negotiations and could take place in July. The post questions what opponent Caio Borralho would face if this matchup comes together. The information comes from source KevinK, though no official announcement has been made. This represents a potential crossover bout with Usman moving up from welterweight to challenge for the middleweight title.
According to a report from source KevinK, UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis and former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman are in negotiations for a title fight that could take place in July. No official announcement has been made, and the matchup should be treated as unconfirmed at this stage.
Du Plessis, 32, carries a 23-3-0 record and holds the middleweight title while sitting at number seven in the pound-for-pound rankings. The South African switches stances and fights out of Team CIT, standing six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach. He lands an impressive 5.18 significant strikes per minute and adds consistent wrestling pressure, averaging 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Usman, nicknamed "The Nigerian Nightmare," is a 39-year-old American fighter currently ranked eighth at welterweight with a 21-4-0 record. He is also six feet tall with a matching 76-inch reach. The former welterweight champion averages 4.36 significant strikes per minute at 52 percent accuracy and has been one of the most dominant wrestlers in UFC history, averaging 2.82 takedowns per 15 minutes. Moving up a weight class to challenge for the middleweight title would represent a significant step up in size for Usman.
The potential bout also raises questions about the middleweight division's other contenders. Caio Borralho, ranked fourth at middleweight with an 18-2-0 record, was reportedly being considered as a challenger, and the report notes his path to a title shot could shift depending on whether this negotiation advances. The 33-year-old Brazilian strikes at 56 percent accuracy and has quietly built one of the stronger records in the division.
Why it matters
- Du Plessis would be defending the middleweight title against a fighter moving up from welterweight
- A successful Usman challenge would mark a rare crossover title win for a former champion stepping up in weight
- Borralho's position in the divisional queue remains uncertain should this fight be confirmed
- The matchup pits two switch-stance fighters with nearly identical reaches against each other
