Nearly four years after losing the welterweight championship he held for more than three years, Kamaru Usman believes he still has enough to become a two-division UFC champion.Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night main event at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on July 19 against former middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis is the next step in the process and, in Usman’s opinion, a victory should leave him one fight away from another shot at UFC gold. For the 39-year-old, this ambition has changed the way he views his work.“Yes, every fight from now on has to be meaningful because I’m not here to be in it anymore. I’m here to accomplish something before I leave the game.“This is a big fight. He is a veteran in this group, which is still a new phase for me. Any time you can fight the number 2 person in the world, it is very important. If I go out and get this victory, what is next besides the title? So it is big, and told Times Umuciaci. com.
Way back to conflict
The search for another contender also explains why Usman has fought less and less over the past few years.His reign as a welterweight came to an abrupt end in August 2022 when Leon Edwards suffered a fifth knockout to claim the title. Seven months later, Edwards again agreed to a grand jury verdict.Usman stepped in less than two weeks before facing Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294, moving up to middleweight and losing by unanimous decision. He was away from competition for almost 20 months before returning in June 2025 with a five-round victory over Joaquin Buckley, a performance that revived his hopes of another fight.While many saw the layoff as a layoff, Usman says there was more to it than just waiting for another fight.“Of course, work is the biggest sign of all. Unfortunately, I am at the stage of my work where I want to be very busy, but it must be clear – not for me alone, but the opponent must be clear, and, most importantly, it must be clear for the company. Unfortunately, that wasn’t always the case, which is why people didn’t see me compete often. But I’m just blessed to be here.“The time away from the Octagon, he says, also changed the way he approaches fights.“I can say that I’m learning to build a fight. When you’re young in the game, you’re just in it and it’s a confusing situation. But after a while, you learn how to set up a fight quickly and understand what’s going on. I would say that is probably my biggest change. “Although his debut at middleweight came recently against Chimaev, Usman believes this camp has allowed him to put the training to good use.“Well, this was also a brief notice. It was announced not too long ago.“But I feel good. Being able to prepare is always a good thing. Like I said, the biggest lesson I’ve learned this time is how to build a fight. Hopefully, we can go there and show on Saturday night. “
Du Plessis test
Standing next to him is a completely different problem.Du Plessis has built his rise through the middle division on a lot of pressure, constant progress and physicality. The South African established himself as the best fighter in the division, and despite his loss to Chimaev last year he continued to progress despite being repeatedly taken down and outclassed by one of the UFC’s best fighters.Wrestling took center stage that night, an area where Du Plessis admitted he had tried to attend another meeting with the decorated artist.Usman, whose NCAA Division II wrestling record laid the foundation for one of the most successful welterweight titles in UFC history, believes the fight will be about more than physical strength.“No, he’s big and he’s physical. That’s one of the great things about him. What makes him famous is his courage, his determination, and his willingness to keep fighting and keep pushing.
“But there’s never been a place where I’ve struggled. There’s never been a time where I didn’t push forward or not fight hard. That’s one of my strengths.“I think it’s going to come down to who can manage the fight smartly and be able to keep it,” Usman said.Asked if Chimaev’s victory revealed plans to beat Du Plessis, Usman admitted there are areas he can exploit, but insisted he will rely on his own strength rather than copy someone else’s tactics.“Well, he’s tough. But of course, everyone watched his last fight and saw that there were places where Khamzat took advantage of them.“I’m good in that area, too, but I’m not going into this fight thinking, ‘Yeah, I’ve got to do the same.’ I just need to go there and fight my battle.“I think one of the things I do better than anybody else is my ability to mix it all together. As long as I’m going out there, doing my thing, mixing it up, I think it’s going to be a great night.”Usman has already decided beyond Saturday. If he can get past Du Plessis, he wants to shoot Sean Strickland.“Hopefully, Sean Strickland. I mean, what’s next? You beat No. 2, the former champion — why not fight the champion?“He and I have already shared a cage. I think that’s the biggest fight in the division. With all due respect to the other guys at the top, I believe that myself against a professional is the biggest fight that the division can do.”The two met in 2017 when both competed at welterweight, Usman earning one victory. Their careers have taken very different paths. Usman went on to become one of the most successful welterweight champions in UFC history, defending the title five times before losing it to Edwards.Strickland excelled at middleweight, captured the UFC title and established himself among the top contenders. The second session will now come with competitive sessions.Apart from martial arts, Usman says one of the defining characteristics of his career has been his unwillingness to pretend he’s not who he is.“I’m very open-minded and very honest with myself. If I’m not good at something, I’m not one of those guys who’s going to come out and lie to people and say, ‘Yeah, I’m really good at this.’“People always say, ‘Fake it till you make it,’ but I’m not one of those guys. If I’m not there, I’m not going to pretend I’m there. I’m going out there, putting in the work, and then I’ll let you know what I can do.This same honesty extends to what goes through his mind before each battle.“It affects you all the time because you’ve spent so much time and effort with your teachers, trainers, physical therapists, nutritionists, and everyone else involved. You have lost time with your family.“Of course, you want all of these people to be rewarded for everything they put in to help you. You don’t want to lose and make them feel like all the work was wasted.“Really, by the time you walk into the cage, the single biggest thought in your mind is, ‘I don’t want to lose this one. I can’t lose this one.’“I’ve done it before. I’ve been there, I’ve done that, and I have experience. Now we are excited to go there and play. “Whether the next title opportunity comes immediately or not will depend on Saturday night’s results. But for Usman, there is little doubt as to why he is still fighting.As for how he hopes people will remember him after his career is over, the answer doesn’t really involve winning belts.“I think the biggest thing people say is that I was a great person – not just on the field, but off it.“That’s who I am. That’s how I was raised. That’s how I coach, and that’s how I approach every aspect of the game.“I hope this will happen, and I hope people will recognize it and respect it.”