“The Nigerian Nightmare” wants to be part of history.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight kingpin Kamaru Usman returns to action this weekend against fellow former champion Dricus du Plessis in the main event of UFC Oklahoma City, which goes down Sat., July 18, 2026, inside Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
And he is not just moving up for fun.
Usman will compete at Middleweight for the second time in his legendary career after a failed attempt to secure a Welterweight title fight with current champion Islam Makhachev. That fight did not come together, but instead of waiting around, Usman accepted another massive opportunity at 185 pounds.
“Just the opportunity,” Usman said during UFC Oklahoma City media day when asked why he moved up. “I like to joke that I’m a moneyweight fighter now, so if it’s at Welterweight, I’ll do it. If it’s at Middleweight, s—t, if it’s at Light Heavyweight, I might do it.
“It just fit and made sense,” Usman continued. “I obviously wanted the Islam fight. We talked about that. I thought that’s what was going to be next. Unfortunately, in things like this, the company has a big say in this, and they felt this was an opportunity. Obviously, I’ve been up here before and fought the former champion. This one just made sense at this time.”
Usman already holds a win over current Middleweight champion Sean Strickland, although that came all the way back in 2017 at Welterweight. Meanwhile, Du Plessis owns two wins over Strickland and is trying to fight his way back into the title picture himself after losing the belt.
So, if Usman goes out there and beats “DDP,” there is suddenly a very easy story to sell.
And that last part definitely matters to him.
“Of course I want [to be two-division champion],” Usman said. “That’s the one club I’m not in yet. I’d like to be in that club. I like being in all of the clubs here, but I’m focused right now, trying to get into the champ-champ club.”
Of course, Usman still has to get through Du Plessis first, which is no easy task.
But if Usman pulls it off, the Middleweight division could get very weird very fast and “The Nigerian Nightmare” could be one win away from joining one of UFC’s most exclusive clubs.
To checkout the latest and greatest UFC Oklahoma: “Du Plessis vs. Usman” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
