Kamaru Usman walked away from UFC Fight Night 281 with another tough defeat, but the former welterweight champion was not interested in blaming the result on a single moment.
After dropping a unanimous decision to former middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis in the main event at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Usman revealed that an early strike affected his vision for much of the fight.
Usman says early eye shot changed the fight
Speaking to reporters after the event, Usman explained that an early exchange left him struggling to see clearly. Although referee Kerry Hatley briefly paused the action, replays suggested the contact came from a punch rather than an illegal eye poke.
“It was a little tough to get going.”
“I took a thumb-punch in the eye early on and that kind of blurred the vision a bit, but no excuses.”
The vision problem made dealing with Du Plessis’ unorthodox offense even more difficult.
“He’s a big boy.”
“When you start seeing two of the big boys and he’s got kind of a weird rangy shots.”
Former champion remains open to both weight classes
The defeat leaves Usman with four losses in his past five appearances. His previous outing was a welterweight win over Joaquin Buckley in June 2025 before returning to middleweight for the Du Plessis matchup.
Even with recent setbacks, the 39-year-old is not limiting his future options. He said he is willing to compete at either 170 or 185 pounds depending on the opportunities available.
“I can make both. 170 is a cut.”
“If there are opportunities there, I’m going to go there. If there are opportunities up here, I’m going to stay here.”