Dricus Du Plessis secured a victory over Kamaru Usman by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night in Oklahoma City on Saturday. This win marks a return to the win column for Du Plessis, following a previous loss in August.
Du Plessis, who entered the fight as the number two contender, now holds a professional record of 24-3-0. Before his recent loss, he had achieved nine consecutive victories in the UFC. With this outcome, Du Plessis may now be positioned to challenge current middleweight champion Sean Strickland for a title bout.
Usman’s Recent Performance and Other Bouts
For Usman, a former welterweight champion, this loss continues a challenging period. Despite a win against Joaquin Buckley in June, he has now experienced four losses in his last five fights. Usman’s record at middleweight currently stands at 0-2.
During his career, Usman held the welterweight title for over two years, successfully defending it five times. However, his recent performances indicate a shift from his earlier dominance.
The event, also known as UFC Fight Night 281, featured several other compelling matchups. In one encounter, Barbosa demonstrated a strong performance, securing a quick tapout victory. She initiated the fight by moving to the center of the cage with front kicks, which her opponent, Melisano, attempted to swat away. Barbosa then successfully tied up Melisano, using a level change to set up a body lock.
Barbosa managed to wrestle Melisano to the mat, establishing mount position. Despite Melisano’s efforts to create space, Barbosa maintained heavy top pressure and threatened with submission setups. Melisano remained defensive, preventing submissions until Barbosa postured up and began ground-and-pound strikes. Barbosa then transitioned to an arm-triangle choke, twisting Melisano’s neck. Melisano eventually tapped out, conceding the fight.
Dramatic Finishes and Notable Debuts
Another fight saw Hines introduce himself with low kicks, which his opponent, Harris, initially did not check. Hines continued to work on the lead leg, while Harris delivered two hooks to Hines’ jaw. Hines continued with kicks, but a low kick left him open to a significant uppercut from Harris. The blow lifted Hines off his feet, and he fell to the mat. Harris then pounced, delivering ground strikes until the fight was waved off.
Hines briefly stumbled after the stoppage, using the cage for support, while Harris celebrated his promotional debut victory. Harris, in a post-fight interview, shared that his wife is 35 weeks pregnant and that he is focusing on becoming a father.
In another bout, Coria faced Nicoll. Coria took the center of the octagon, landing a crisp uppercut on Nicoll. Coria continued to pressure, landing a right hand that caused Nicoll to retreat and reset. Despite Nicoll’s head movement, Coria consistently scored. Coria also landed a jab, and when Nicoll attempted a takedown, Coria defended with a guillotine choke.
Coria eventually fought his way back to his feet, breaking from a clinch to corner Nicoll. Nicoll managed to punch his way out but was met with another right hand that caused swelling around his left eye. Nicoll attempted a double-leg takedown, bringing Coria to the mat. Coria, however, managed to wall-walk and switch positions, ending up with back control and striking Nicoll. The judges’ scores for this round were 10-9 in favour of Coria from both Ben Duffy and Tyler Treese.
Nicoll later lifted Coria and slammed him to the ground in the center of the cage. He then attempted a crucifix and a bulldog choke. Coria slipped out, took Nicoll’s back, and rode out the round with back control. The judges again scored the round 10-9 for Coria. In the final round, Coria continued to land strikes. Nicoll attempted a takedown, which Coria countered with a brabo choke. Nicoll escaped, but Coria later secured a tight guillotine choke. Nicoll slumped as Coria put him on his back, and the grip fell off as time expired. The final scores from both Duffy and Treese were 30-27 for Coria.
The event also featured Elliott and Anderson, who were initially cautious. Anderson landed kicks while Elliott sought a counter. As Elliott moved forward, Anderson connected with uppercuts, leading to a head clash.
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Source: sherdog.com
