Dricus Du Plessis's training facility, CIT Performance Institute, has confirmed on social media that the UFC middleweight champion will face former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in an upcoming bout. The announcement came from Du Plessis's official training camp, lending credibility to the matchup. However, the UFC has not yet officially announced the fight or provided details on the date or venue. Fans are now waiting for the promotion to confirm what would be a significant middleweight clash between the current champion and a former multi-time welterweight titleholder moving up in weight.
Dricus Du Plessis's training home, CIT Performance Institute, confirmed via social media on May 5 that the UFC middleweight champion is set to face former welterweight kingpin Kamaru Usman, though the promotion itself has yet to make an official announcement on a date or venue.
Du Plessis, 32, carries a 23-3-0 record into the contest and has established himself as one of the sport's elite competitors, sitting seventh in the pound-for-pound rankings while holding the middleweight title. The South African southpaw-turned-switch hitter stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach and brings relentless output to the octagon, landing 5.18 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy. He also adds a credible wrestling threat, averaging 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Usman, 39, makes the move up from welterweight where he ranks eighth in the division with a 21-4-0 record and a legacy built on dominant title defenses. Fighting out of Kill Cliff FC, the American known as The Nigerian Nightmare stands six feet tall and shares an identical 76-inch reach with the champion. He is one of the more accurate strikers in the sport at 52 percent, and his wrestling pedigree remains a central part of his game, averaging 2.82 takedowns per 15 minutes across his career.
Why it matters
- Du Plessis would be defending the middleweight title against a decorated former champion moving up in weight class for the first time
- A Usman victory would instantly establish him as a contender in a second division, reshaping the 185-pound landscape
- Both fighters are switch-hitters with near-identical reach, setting up a closely matched physical contest between two high-volume, wrestling-capable competitors
- The confirmation from Du Plessis's camp adds significant credibility to the matchup even as fans await an official UFC announcement
