South African UFC legend Dricus du Plessis is set to return to the Octagon in July at UFC Fight Night 281. The bout will be the first time he’s fought since losing his middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 last August. Who he will face, however, is yet to be confirmed. Du Plessis has stated that he’s signed his contract, and will be fighting on the card. The bout is scheduled to be against Kamaru Usman, however the former UFC Welterweight Champion is yet to sign his paperwork.
Whether against Usman as planned, or a late replacement, du Plessis will be back in the Octagon at UFC Fight Night 281. The card is being held on 18th July at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
A win for du Plessis will thrust him back into the UFC Middleweight Championship picture. The current holder is Sean Strickland, a man whom Stillknocks has beaten twice and doubtless feels can do so again. However, Nassourdine Imavov is the current No.1 contender, while Joe Pyfer has been suggested as an alternative challenger.
Those following from du Plessis’s home country can follow the build up on South African sites, where authentic local reporting meets professional sports analysis. For now, here’s what’s at stake at Fight Night 281.
Redemption on the cards for Du Plessis at UFC Fight Night 281
Dricus du Plessis became the first ever South African to win a UFC title when he defeated Sean Strickland for the middleweight belt at UFC 297 in January 2024. He managed to defend his championship successfully twice, against Israel Adesanya and a rematch with Strickland, before eventually being beaten by Khamzat Chimaev.
The defeat was at UFC 319 back in August 2025, meaning du Plessis will have been on the sidelines for 11 months by the time he returns to action. The break was needed, though, with Stillknocks himself admitting he had lost the drive needed to stay as champion.
Du Plessis has said he watches the loss to Chimaev regularly, with a focus on how he was dominated on the ground. Stillknocks was taken down 12 times in 25 minutes, and the ground and pound opportunities this unlocked for Chimaev meant he was out struck 529 to just 45.
By taking on Kamaru Usman, du Plessis will hope to prove that he’s got the fire back, and has fixed the issues that allowed him to be dominated by Chimaev. However, there remains a possibility that he may ultimately end up with a different opponent than the Nigerian Nightmare.
Usman dragging his feet with contract
While du Plessis is set to delight South African fans by returning to the Octagon at Fight Night 281, Usman is yet to be officially confirmed. He’s currently stalling on signing his contract, meaning there’s an outside chance he could drop out.
Age is a definite factor for Usman. At 39 years old, he only has a limited amount of fights left, and wants to be a UFC champion again. His preferred option would have been another crack at the welterweight title, but current champion Islam Makhachev is instead fighting Ian Machado Garry instead.
The move up to welterweight is a risky one for Usman. He’s fought at the weight before as a last-minute replacement against Chimaev, but lost the encounter by majority decision. The appearance clearly did enough to prove to Usman that he can compete, though, and doubtless enjoyed the easier cut.
He may simply be holding off from signing the contract to see if a welterweight opportunity opens up, but with the security of knowing a win over du Plessis puts him in the middleweight title picture.
What matters the most is that du Plessis is back in the Octagon. He knows he needs a comprehensive victory to force his way back into the middleweight title scene, and it doesn’t matter if it’s against Usman or a late replacement.
Michael is an experienced writer and editor in sports media circles. As the founder and owner of Last Word On Sports INC, a partner at Sports Heroics, he brings a wealth of experience to the ownership group at Sports & Media Investors Group, LLC, which owns NYFights.com.