Islam Makhachev picked Dricus Du Plessis over Kamaru Usman before the UFC Oklahoma City main event and pointed to Usman’s knees as the reason.
The clip was posted to X on Saturday, July 18, 2026. Makhachev was asked about Du Plessis vs. Usman and explained why Usman’s move to middleweight made sense if it led to another title shot.
Islam Makhachev predicts Dricus Du Plessis will defeat Kamaru Usman. 😲
"I was thinking, why did Kamaru move up? If he wins against DDP, he becomes the No. 1 contender because he has already beaten Strickland.
I think Du Plessis will win. Kamaru has bad knees to fight until the… pic.twitter.com/3nGwym4R6d— FREAK.MMA (@FREAKMMA1) July 18, 2026
“I was thinking, why did Kamaru move up? If he wins against DDP, he becomes the No. 1 contender because he has already beaten Strickland.
I think Du Plessis will win. Kamaru has bad knees to fight until the stoppage.”
Usman made the same title-route point during UFC Oklahoma City fight week when he discussed what could follow a win over Du Plessis.
“Sean Strickland. I mean, that makes sense. That’s pretty easy. It’s either Sean Strickland or Islam if Islam is still the champion, which I assume he will be.”
Usman already owns a win over Sean Strickland, and Makhachev mentioned that history while breaking down why the former welterweight champion accepted the risk at 185 pounds.
Du Plessis Meets Usman At UFC Oklahoma City
Du Plessis vs. Usman headlines UFC Oklahoma City on July 18, 2026, at Paycom Center. The prelims start at 5 p.m. ET, with the main card at 8 p.m. ET on Paramount+.
Du Plessis enters at 23-3 after losing the middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev. Usman enters at 21-4 after snapping his losing streak with a five-round win over Joaquin Buckley at UFC Atlanta. Their fight is a non-title middleweight main event with direct title implications for the winner.
Makhachev is 28-1 and moved to 170 pounds after a long lightweight title run. Usman has continued to name him as part of his championship path if the Oklahoma City result goes his way.
Related: Dricus Du Plessis and Kamaru Usman faceoff video before UFC Oklahoma City, Usman explains the middleweight move and Islam Makhachev angle, and Usman breaks down why Makhachev scares him at welterweight.
