A fight between middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis and former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is currently in the negotiation stage and could take place in July. This development raises questions about what will happen with Caio Borralho, who has been considered a potential title contender. The information comes from Kevin Iole. If this fight materializes, it would represent Usman moving up to middleweight to challenge for the title.
According to a report from journalist Kevin Iole, middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis and former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman are in negotiations for a July fight, with Usman potentially moving up a weight class to challenge for the 185-pound title. The bout is not yet officially confirmed.
Du Plessis, 32, carries a 23-3-0 record and currently sits at number two in the middleweight division and seventh in the pound-for-pound rankings. The South African fighter out of Team CIT is a switch-stance pressure fighter who lands an impressive 5.18 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy, while also averaging 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes. His six-foot-one frame comes with a 76-inch reach.
Usman, 39, holds a 21-4-0 record and is currently ranked eighth at welterweight with Kill Cliff FC. Known as "The Nigerian Nightmare," the American switch-stance veteran is an accomplished grappler who averages 2.82 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands 4.36 significant strikes per minute at 52 percent accuracy. At six feet tall with a 76-inch reach, he would be stepping up in weight for the first time if the fight is made.
The reported negotiation also creates uncertainty around Caio Borralho, the 33-year-old Brazilian ranked fourth at middleweight with an 18-2-0 record. Borralho had been widely discussed as a legitimate title contender, and a Du Plessis-Usman matchup would effectively push him aside in the divisional queue for now.
Why it matters
- Du Plessis would be defending his middleweight title against a fighter moving up from welterweight, adding a cross-divisional element rarely seen at championship level
- Borralho, ranked fourth at middleweight with a clean recent record, would see his title shot prospects delayed if this fight is confirmed
- Both Du Plessis and Usman are switch-stance fighters with active grappling games, setting up a technically complex matchup
