Dricus Du Plessis walked away with the win against Kamaru Usman at the Paycom Center on July 18, 2026, and the chatter hasn’t stopped about if DDP truly leveled up or if we finally saw the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ crack. This wasn’t some quiet decision, folks, it was a fight that left everyone with questions.
Did DDP Level Up, Or Was Usman Just Done?
Everyone’s asking if Du Plessis looked that good because of age and size advantages or if he genuinely hit another gear. Andrew Richardson says it was both, but emphasizes DDP was “especially sharp” and showed clear improvements. Jesse Holland puts it bluntly, paraphrasing Khabib, “it’s easy to look like a lion when you’re up against sheep.” He points out that Usman, at 39, is seven years older, and weight classes exist for a reason.
Alex Behunin backs this up, noting that DDP definitely looked like he leveled up, but also that he’s a “big boy at Middleweight.” He adds that Du Plessis hurt Usman a lot, which is something that rarely happened to Usman when he fought at Welterweight. Thomas Myers agrees DDP looked “cartoon-ishly larger” than Usman. He admired DDP’s calm, patient approach, sticking to his gameplan even when Usman was “wobbling in almost every round,” showing “high level of intelligence and restraint.” Myers thinks Usman got off the hook and should seriously consider sticking to 170 or retiring, suggesting his “Khamzat success” might have “over-inflated his already over-inflated ego.” Tim Edwards gives Du Plessis major credit for a smart gameplan and “great technique” on knees and a headkick that made Usman “wobbly for half the fight.” Edwards doesn’t think Usman is “washed,” though, pointing out he “looked great against Buckley” and even “took a round off Du Plessis with his striking.”
Usman’s Post-Fight “Vision” Excuse Is Getting Blasted
After a loss, fighters often look for a reason, and Usman’s no different. He came out claiming his sight was compromised in round two or three, leading to his defeat. Andrew Richardson’s take on that? Simple. “Usman lost vision because DDP punched him in the face , that’s fighting!” He nails it. It’s a trend we’ve seen before: losing fighters dropping some major, unprovable excuse for why they couldn’t perform. But when you step into that octagon, sometimes the reason you can’t see is because the other guy hit you.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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