Former champions to collide in UFC Oklahoma City main event

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced Saturday that Dricus Du Plessis will face Kamaru Usman in the UFC Oklahoma City headliner, a meeting of former champions. The event, also known as UFC Fight Night 281, takes place at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City and airs in its entirety on Paramount+. Du Plessis returns for the first time since August, when he lost the middleweight title by unanimous decision to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319. Before that setback, he compiled a 9-0 UFC run with victories over Sean Strickland, Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson, and Darren Till. Usman last competed in June, defeating Joaquin Buckley at UFC on ESPN 69 after a rumored Islam Makhachev bout did not materialize.