Speaking on his Pound 4 Pound podcast, the former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman said Du Plessis’ name came up in discussions, but the fight was never formally presented before it was announced. They will face against each other at UFC Oklahoma on July 18.
Usman says Du Plessis was only mentioned
Usman said he had been asking for a fight since February and was hoping for a title opportunity.
“I’ve just been ready to fight since February, well, I asked for a fight since then,”
“And it was like, ‘Ah, we don’t know.’ We all know which fight that I wanted. I wanted that fight.”
“And then DDP was mentioned, not really offered, but mentioned,” Usman said. “I just need something that gets me to the title…”
Usman wanted the fight sooner
Usman said he even suggested facing Du Plessis at UFC 327 in Miami, but was told the timing would not work.
“I said, Okay, let’s fight soon at Miami, I even asked that,”
“And then he was like, ‘Yeah, Miami’s too soon, he might not be ready.’”
He believed the matchup had been dropped until it was officially announced.
“So I thought the fight was off… And then finally, I guess it was announced.”
Still chasing champ-champ status
Usman said his ultimate goal remains winning a second UFC title.
“There’s still a club that I’m not in yet and I want to be in that club,”
“So, I’m gonna pursue that. Whoever the opponent is, it doesn’t really matter to me at this point, because it’s bigger than just a fight.”
Usman is coming off a win over Joaquin Buckley in June 2025, while Du Plessis returns after losing the UFC middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev.