Former MMA star Jorge Masvidal has now dropped his clear-cut verdict on the upcoming UFC showdown between Kamaru Usman and Dricus Du Plessis.
Kamaru Usman and Dricus Du Plessis have not fought inside the octagon since 2025 ahead of their five-round main event clash at UFC Fight Night 281 on 18th July.
Du Plessis suffered his first defeat in the UFC after he lost the middleweight championship to Khamzat Chimaev in a unanimous decision defeat at UFC 319.
Usman, on the other hand, ended a three-match losing streak after he scored a unanimous decision victory over Joaquin Buckley at UFC on ESPN 69 last June.
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Jorge Masvidal thinks that Dricus Du Plessis will face a ‘too complete’ version of Kamaru Usman at UFC Fight Night 281
Jorge Masvidal, who retired from MMA in 2023 after his loss to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287, is all too familiar with the threat that Kamaru Usman brings to the table.
The 41-year-old American challenged for the UFC welterweight championship twice against Usman and Masvidal lost at both UFC 251 in 2020 and UFC 261 in 2021.
Speaking on UFC on Paramount+, Masvidal has now claimed that ex-welterweight champion Usman should be seen as the favourite against Dricus Du Plessis.
“But Du Plessis almost has to fight a perfect fight to beat Usman,” he said.
“Usman, I think, beats him three, four times out of five, easy. He’s too complete everywhere.
“And where he’s lacking… Du Plessis is lacking [and] Usman is phenomenal, which is the wrestling and the control department, and Usman is good enough with the hands that I don’t think he gets in too much trouble.
“I think he’s able to get some takedowns and control Du Plessis unless Du Plessis has made some drastic changes from his last fight, which I don’t know if he did in such a short time.
“He’s [Du Plessis] a great athlete. I don’t, you know, put it past him that he could improve a lot, but could he improve enough to deal with Usman’s wrestling? I don’t think so.”
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What happens when Dricus du Plessis and Kamaru Usman fight?
Jorge Masvidal feels that people are writing off Kamaru Usman ahead of his UFC clash with Dricus Du Plessis
Usman suffered back-to-back defeats to Leon Edwards at UFC 278 in 2022 and UFC 286 in 2023 before losing to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 in 2023.
Masvidal feels that the 39-year-old Nigerian-American MMA fighter showed why he should not be written off after his performance against Joaquin Buckley in 2025.
“I think, I don’t think he [Usman] [is] shot at all, man,” he explained.
“You know, I know he was winning the first fight, I mean, the second fight with Leon. I had him winning considerably and then whatever, he got caught, got knocked out.
“Then after that, he fights Chimaev, like, in 10 [or] 11 days’ notice, which I thought he won. You know, straight up, I thought he won that fight.
“And then he has the Buckley fight, which he looked phenomenal, you know, so I don’t think he’s anywhere near shot.
“I think he can still contend for a belt. I think Du Plessis is a dangerous fighter because he’s heavy-handed as hell, super athletic.”
Usman and Du Plessis will headline the UFC Fight Night 281 card at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on 18th July.
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