Nearly four years after losing the welterweight title for more than three years, Kamaru Usman believes he still has what it takes to become a two-division UFC champion.Saturday night’s main event of UFC Fight Night on July 19 at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City against former middleweight champion Derikus du Plessis is the next step in that pursuit, and in Usman’s mind, a win should put him one win away from UFC gold. For the 39-year-old, that ambition has changed his outlook on his career.“Yeah, every fight from now on has to mean something because I’m not just here to be in it. I’m here to accomplish something before I eventually leave the sport.“It’s a huge fight. He’s a former champion in this division and it’s still a new level for me. Any time you get a fight of that magnitude against the No. 2 guy in the world, it means a lot. Once I go out and get this win, what’s the next step besides the title? So it’s a big fight and I’m excited about it,” Usman told The Times. com.
Return to the path of controversy
The pursuit of another title also explains why Usman has rarely fought in the past few years.Leon Edwards’ welterweight dominance came to a dramatic end in August 2022 when he won the title with a head kick in the fifth round. Seven months later, Edwards won a hard-fought rematch by majority decision.Usman then stepped in to fight Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 in less than two weeks, moving up to middleweight and losing by competitive majority decision. He stayed away from competition for nearly 20 months before returning in June 2025 with a five-round victory over Joaquin Barkley, a performance that reignited hopes of another title shot.While many view the layoffs as inaction, Usman said it’s not just about waiting for another fight.“Activity, of course, is the most important metric. Unfortunately, I’m at a point in my career where I would like to be more active, but it has to make sense – not only for me, but also for the opponents, and most importantly, it has to make sense for the company. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case, which is why I’m not often seen competing. But I’m lucky enough to have the opportunity to be here.“He said the time away from the Octagon has also changed the way he fights.“I would say learn how to fight. When you’re young in the game and you’re just out there, it’s a chaotic experience. But over time, you learn how to adapt to the fight faster and understand what’s going on. I would say that’s probably my biggest improvement. “Although his first appearance at middleweight came against Chimaev, Usman believes this training camp has allowed him to better apply those lessons.“Well, this was also announced at short notice, not long ago.“But I feel good. It’s always a great thing to be ready. Like I said, the biggest lesson I’ve learned during this time is how to set up a fight. Hopefully we can show that on Saturday night. “
Du Plessis test
Standing across from him is a very different challenge.Du Plessis has risen through the middleweight division with relentless pressure, constant forward movement and physicality. The South African describes himself as the most physically dominant fighter in the division, and even after losing to Chimaev last year, he continued to push forward despite being knocked down and dominated multiple times by one of the UFC’s elite wrestlers.The wrestling that night proved decisive, with Du Plessis admitting he had worked hard in the area to prepare for another match against a decorated wrestler.Usman, who has NCAA Division II wrestling credentials and laid the foundation for one of the most dominant welterweight title runs in UFC history, believes the fight will be about more than just physical strength.“No, he’s big and physical. That’s one of the biggest things about him. What really makes him stand out is his tenacity, his determination and his willingness to keep fighting and keep moving forward.
“But it’s never been an area that I’ve really struggled with. There’s never been a time where I wasn’t moving forward or not working hard. That’s one of my strengths as well.“I think it’s going to come down to who has tactical control of the fight and is able to sustain the fight,” Usman said.When asked if Chimaev’s win revealed a blueprint for defeating Du Plessis, Usman admitted he had areas he could exploit but insisted he would rely on his own strengths rather than copy someone else’s approach.“Well, he was tough. But of course, everyone watched his last game and saw Kamzat completely exploiting an area.“I’m good at that, too, but I’m not going into this fight thinking, ‘Yeah, I need to do this.’ “I just have to go out and fight.“I think one thing I do better than others is my ability to mix it all up. As long as I go out there, do my thing and mix it up, I think it’s going to be a good night.”Usman is already thinking beyond Saturday. If he gets past Du Plessis, he hopes to fight Sean Strickland for the title.“Hopefully, Sean Strickland. I mean, what’s next? You beat the No. 2 guy, the former champion – why not fight the champion?“He and I have shared the cage before. I think this is the biggest fight in the division. With all due respect to the other top guys, I believe my own fight with the champion is the biggest fight the division can have.”The two had previously fought in 2017 when both competed at welterweight, with Usman winning via unanimous decision. After that, their careers took very different paths. Usman went on to become one of the most dominant champions in UFC welterweight history, defending the title five times before losing to Edwards.Strickland found success at middleweight, capturing the UFC title and establishing himself as one of the leading contenders in the division. Now, the second meeting will be tied to the championship game.Beyond the technical aspects of fighting, Usman said a defining characteristic of his career has been his unwillingness to pretend to be someone he is not.“I’m very rational and very honest with myself. If I’m not good at something, I’m not one of those people who’s going to come out and lie to the public and say, ‘Oh, yeah, I’m the best at that.'”“People always say, ‘Fake it ’til you make it,’ but I’m really not one of those people. If I’m not there yet, I’m not going to pretend that I am. I’m going to go out there, put in the work, and then I’ll let you know what I’m capable of.”That same honesty extends to his thoughts before each fight.“It always affects you because you invest a lot of time and effort in coaches, trainers, physiotherapists, nutritionists and other people involved. You also sacrifice time with your family.“Of course, you want all of these people to experience a reward for everything they’ve done to help you. You don’t want to lose and have them feel like all that work went unrewarded.“Certainly, when you walk into the cage, one of the biggest thoughts in your mind is, ‘I don’t want to lose this. I can’t lose this.’“I’ve dealt with this before. I’ve been there, I’ve done that, and I have experience. Now we’re excited to go out and perform again. “Whether the next championship opportunity comes immediately will depend largely on Saturday night’s results. But for Usman, it’s clear why he’s still fighting.As for how he wants people to remember him when his career is finally over, the answer has nothing to do with championship belts.“The biggest thing I want people to say is that I’m a really high-level individual — not just in the sport, but outside of the sport as well.“This is who I am. This is how I grew up. This is how I train and this is how I perform in every aspect of the game.“I hope people recognize that and respect it.”
