Du Plessis, Usman jockeying for title shot with UFC OKC matchup

For the first time since June 2017, the octagon returns to Paycom Center in Oklahoma City this Saturday with a 12-fight card featuring an incredible middleweight main event between a pair of former title-holders.

Here’s a look at the top storylines going into the event.

Du Plessis, Usman eyeing title bout vs. Strickland

In the headliner, we have a battle of former UFC champions with a potential title shot at 185 pounds on the line when former middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis takes on former welterweight kingpin Kamaru Usman.

Du Plessis has not fought since UFC 319 last August, when he lost a lopsided unanimous decision to Khamzat Chimaev, losing his middleweight belt in the process. But the 32-year-old South African native remains the UFC’s No. 2-ranked middleweight, so he’s still very much in title contention despite dropping a one-sided fight to Chimaev.

That’s because du Plessis already holds two decision wins over new UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland. When Strickland pulled off a massive upset over Chimaev at UFC 328, it put du Plessis in a great position at 185 pounds because he has already proven he can beat Strickland (twice). So, if du Plessis can pull off an impressive win over Usman at UFC OKC, he could very well earn himself another title shot against Strickland.

For Usman, the 39-year-old Nigerian is moving up to the UFC middleweight division in the latter stages of his career after spending most of his career at welterweight, where he was once a dominant champion.

In Usman’s last fight, he defeated Joaquin Buckley via unanimous decision at UFC Atlanta last June to prove that the old man still has what it takes to win fights, having been on a three-fight skid before that. Usman, like du Plessis, holds a previous win over Strickland, though Usman’s is from when they were both welterweights back in 2017. Still, there’s already a built-in storyline there, so if Usman can pull off a major upset against du Plessis on Saturday, there is certainly the possibility that he could jump the line and get the next title shot at 185 pounds against Strickland.

It’s a fascinating main event for the UFC’s return to OKC for the first time in nearly a decade. While du Plessis — the younger, more durable fighter and middleweight stalwart — is the betting favourite to win this fight, you can never count out someone as experienced and successful as Usman from winning as the underdog. With a potential title shot on the line, look for these two to put on an amazing show for the MMA fans of Oklahoma City.

Can Cannonier derail another rising talent?

In addition to an exciting main event, there is also a key middleweight bout in the co-main event between Jared Cannonier and Christian Leroy Duncan.

At age 42, Cannonier is one of the oldest fighters in the UFC, but he’s still winning fights. After all, it was just last year that he knocked out top contender Gregory Rodrigues in a thrilling, back-and-forth fight that earned Cannonier Comeback of the Year at the 17th Annual World MMA Awards. Cannonier might be in his 40s now, but don’t tell him that, as he still carries his trademark knockout power into his fights, meaning you can never count him out in a fight.

That said, Cannonier has a tough test in front of him at UFC OKC when he takes on the 30-year-old Brit Duncan, who has won four straight fights and six of his last seven. Duncan has been absolutely laying waste to his foes inside the octagon as of late, and if he can go in there and beat the former title contender in Cannonier, it will push him closer to the elite at 185 pounds.

Kline looking to cement elite contender status

Another key fight at UFC Oklahoma City is a women’s strawweight bout between Fatima Kline and Tabatha Ricci, who took this fight on short notice in place of the injured Amanda Ribas.

At just 26 years of age, Kline already looks like a future UFC women’s strawweight champion. She has won her last three fights in a row, including two wins by knockout, and is quickly moving up the ladder at 115 pounds. She will have to get past a tough out here in Ricci, the seventh-ranked 31-year-old Brazilian grappling sensation. But should Kline, currently ranked 14th in the division, win this fight, she would be very close to breaking into the upper echelon of the UFC women’s strawweight ranks.

Lebosnoyani, Ko take similar paths to head-on collision

Another key matchup that is worth pointing out is a welterweight bout between Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani and Seokhyeon Ko.

The 27-year-old Lebosnoyani earned a UFC contract last summer with a brutal knockout win over Jack Congdon on Dana White’s Contender Series. Then, in his UFC debut, he won a split decision over veteran Phil Rowe to show he has what it takes to win fights inside the octagon.

As for Ko, the 32-year-old South Korean native earned a UFC contract of his own on DWCS two summers ago, and since then, he has looked extremely good in the UFC, racking up two straight wins over Oban Elliot and the aforementioned Rowe by unanimous decision.

It’s always easy for the UFC matchmakers when two men are coming off a victory over the same common opponent, and that’s the case here with Lebosnoyani and Ko, who both beat Rowe in their last bout. Therefore, it’s the ideal matchup for both, and the winner will certainly get a nice step up in the UFC welterweight division after this fight is decided.

Can Coria live up to top-dog status vs. Nicoll?

Finally, it’s worth pointing out the flyweight bout on the prelims between Alden Coria and Stewart Nicoll. According to the betting odds, this is a squash match, as Coria is a 10-to-1 betting favorite, and for good reason, given he is 2-0 in the UFC, while Nicoll is 0-3.

At just 28, Coria trains alongside UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van at 4oz Fight Club in Houston, Texas. The similarities are obvious between the two when you watch them fight, and if Coria can get a big win here, he could be ranked in the top 15 at 125 pounds. He should have no problem taking care of Nicol, as his Australian foe hasn’t proven yet that he can win in the UFC.