The UFC returns to Oklahoma for the first time in nine years this weekend for a well-shaped Fight Night card.In the main event, two former UFC champions, Dricus du Plessis and Kamaru Usman, come to blows in an intriguing battle at middleweight.Du Plessis lost the UFC middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev last August, but has two wins over current champion Sean StricklandGettyUsman ended a three-fight skid by defeating Joaquin Buckley in his last fight at UFC Atlanta in June 2025GettyDu Plessis hasn’t fought since losing the UFC middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev, on the back of a nine-fight undefeated run in Dana White‘s promotion.The South African had previously defended the belt against Israel Adesanya and twice against Sean Strickland, who is the current middleweight king, having stunned Chimaev at UFC 328 in May.Usman, meanwhile, ended a two-year hiatus from MMA last time out by demolishing Joaquin Buckley against the odds in the main event of UFC Atlanta.‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ had previously fallen into a three-fight skid, having previously dominated the welterweight division as champion at the back end of his 15-0 streak in the UFC.Both du Plessis and Usman have lost just a combined seven fights in 51 professional MMA fights, and the winner of their UFC Oklahoma City headliner will be in good stead for a championship bout next.Du Plessis vs Usman: Start timeUFC Oklahoma City: du Plessis vs Usman, also known as UFC Fight Night 281, takes place on Saturday, July 18, at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma.Preliminary action on the Fight Night card is scheduled to begin at 10pm BST (5pm ET, 2pm PT).The main card is then set to start at 1am BST on Sunday (8pm ET, 5pm PT, Saturday).Du Plessis vs Usman is expected to get underway around 3am BST on Sunday (10pm ET, 7pm PT).Du Plessis has lost just once in the UFC and promises to show what he’s made of again in Oklahoma on SaturdayGettyDu Plessis vs Usman: Where to watchFor fans in the UK and Ireland, the UFC Fight Night event will be broadcast on TNT Sports and HBO Max, with the prelims available on UFC Fight Pass.Paramount+ will be the destination to watch the full card for fans in the US, Australia and Latin America (including Brazil).talkSPORT.com will also bring you the latest news and updates from UFC Oklahoma City right through du Plessis’ main event with Usman.Du Plessis vs Usman: Fight cardSubject to changeMain cardMAIN EVENT: Dricus Du Plessis vs Kamaru Usman – MiddleweightCo-main: Jared Cannonier vs Christian Leroy Duncan – MiddleweightChase Hooper vs Mitch Ramirez – LightweightTabatha Ricci vs Fatima Kline – Women’s StrawweightTommy McMillen vs Alberto Montes – FeatherweightPreliminary cardAustin Bashi vs Jose Delgado – FeatherweightJean-Paul Lebosnoyani vs Seokhyeon Ko – WelterweightLevi Rodrigues vs Felipe Franco – Light HeavyweightAlden Coria vs Stewart Nicoll – FlyweightRJ Harris vs Alvin Hines – HeavyweightAnna Melisano vs Dione Barbosa – Women’s FlyweightDu Plessis vs Usman headlines the latest UFC Fight Night card in Oklahoma City this weekendGettyDu Plessis vs Usman: What has been said?“I wanted to fight somebody who gets me to my title again,” du Plessis told Fight Forecast, explaining his decision to accept a bout against Usman.“Kamaru Usman, yes, he’s a bit older, but now you look at what [Justin] Gaethje just did — so that throws that argument out of the window immediately.“Kamaru Usman is arguably the best welterweight ever, alongside Georges St-Pierre if you go on title defences and all that.“He started his career out at middleweight, has a win over Sean Strickland and had a very close fight with Khamzat Chimaev, and that’s why I wanted this fight.“What’s it going to mean for me to go out there and beat another striker? I’ve done that many times. I was defending my belt against strikers.“I’ve beaten the best, which is Strickland, at middleweight twice…“I want to go out there and prove what I’ve done and go show the problem the middleweights have on their hands now.”Usman, on the other hand, is eyeing up a shot at Islam Makhachev‘s welterweight title through a victory over du Plessis.UFC ScheduleThere are still several blockbuster shows and exciting contests for fight fans to look forward to in 2026, and you can find the full list of all confirmed events and official bouts as part of talkSPORT.com’s UFC schedule.The UFC, on average, puts on 13 to 14 premium events in a calendar year, with up to 30 smaller ‘Fight Night’ cards allowing prospects and less experienced fighters to showcase their talents.On January 1, 2026, Dana White’s promotion signed a seven-year broadcast deal with CBS and Paramount+ for exclusive rights in the US, meaning the UFC has put on shows like never before this year.With the historic first event in the new Paramount era, UFC 324, delivering huge success, and a one-of-a-kind fight card at the White House in June opening up the UFC to a new audience, the promotion remains a premium global sports brand, and fans are eager to keep track of results and upcoming fights.