Kamaru Usman took another tough loss at UFC Fight Night 281 this past Saturday, dropping a unanimous decision to Dricus Du Plessis. Seriously, it was a clear defeat after getting outworked for 25 minutes. But guess what? UFC CEO Dana White isn’t ready to wave the white flag on “The Nigerian Nightmare’s” career. Talk about a curveball!
The Tough Reality: 1-4 in Five Fights
Usman, with a pro record of 21-5 MMA and 16-4 in the UFC, stepped into the middleweight division again. He faced former divisional titleholder Dricus Du Plessis, who boasts a 24-3 MMA, 10-1 UFC record, at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. It was a 25-minute grind, and Usman was clearly outworked, leading to that unanimous decision loss. This wasn’t some fluke either. “The Nigerian Nightmare” is now sitting at a rough 1-4 in his last five fights after an absolutely historic 15-fight winning streak that kicked off his UFC run. At 39 years old, those questions about his future aren’t just whispers anymore, they’re bubbling right to the surface.
Dana White’s Shocking Defense
Despite the numbers, White is absolutely convinced Usman doesn’t look like a guy who needs to hang up the gloves. He told reporters post-fight, “We’ve seen the, ‘Holy shit, these guys should retire’ fights. Those weren’t it.” White really emphasized that Usman was “fighting a much bigger guy” in Du Plessis, and he still showed off a “great chin.” He genuinely thinks, “He’s still got it. It’s not like, ‘Oh, Usman’s done and he should retire.’ He had a great fight tonight.” White’s advice? Usman needs to “go home, rest, heal up and figure out what’s next.” And get this: White is leaving the weight class decision entirely up to Usman, saying the door is wide open for him at 170 or 185 pounds. Why? Because Usman has “done enough in his career” and “accomplished so much.” He’s earned the respect to pick what he wants without any company input. White even said, “He’s fighting literally the No. 1 or No. 2 best guy in the world, who is way bigger than he is.” He closed it out by saying, “This guy has done it all.” Pretty high praise, right?
So, what’s the play for “The Nigerian Nightmare”? He hinted post-fight that he’s not calling it quits. With White’s public vote of confidence and the freedom to choose his path, either at 170 or 185 pounds, it feels like this story is far from over. Will Usman prove White right and shock everyone with a comeback? You know everyone will be tuning in to find out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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