Dricus Du Plessis: Kamaru Usman was reluctant to sign contract for UFC Oklahoma City

Dricus Du Plessis said the UFC "finally convinced" Kamaru Usman to sign for their middleweight headliner at UFC Oklahoma City on July 18, according to MMAjunkie.com. The bout pits former champions Kamaru Usman and Dricus Du Plessis in a five-round main event at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. Usman returns to 185 pounds after a majority-decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 in October 2021, while Du Plessis competes for the first time since a unanimous-decision defeat to Chimaev at UFC 319 last August. Du Plessis cited Usman's resume and wrestling profile as factors relevant to his path back to a title opportunity.