Home US SportsUFC UFC Fight Night 281 live updates: Usman vs Du Plessis start time, TV

UFC Fight Night 281 live updates: Usman vs Du Plessis start time, TV

by
UFC Fight Night 281 live updates: Usman vs Du Plessis start time, TV

Earlier this week, Kamaru Usman dubbed himself as a “moneyweight fighter.”

The 39-year-old is a former UFC champion and considered one of the greatest welterweights of all time in the sport.

But at this stage of his career, the motivation is different and he isn’t picky about weight classes.

Advertisement

“I’m a moneyweight fighter now, so hey, if it’s up at welterweight, I’ll do it,” Usman said. “If it’s up at middleweight, I’ll do it. If it’s up at light heavyweight, I might do it.”

Light heavyweight might be a slight stretch, but middleweight isn’t, and that’s what he’ll compete at when he faces a former champion in that class in Dricus Du Plessis for UFC Fight Night 281 on Saturday night at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.

Follow along for live updates from UFC Fight Night 281:

More: Kamaru Usman channels ‘Braveheart’ for Dricus Du Plessis at UFC Fight Night 281 weigh-ins

Watch UFC Fight Night 281 live with Paramount+

1 / 84

See all the best moments from the UFC Fight Night OKC weigh-in

Dricus Du Plessis (left) and Kamaru Usman (right) face off during the ceremonial weigh-in for UFC Fight Night at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on Friday, July 17, 2026.

(NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN)

  • Venue: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City

  • Prelims start: 4 p.m. CT

Advertisement

Official weigh-in results

Chase Hooper will be forced to forfeit 20% of his purse to his opponent, Mitch Ramirez, for weighing 1.5 pounds over the lightweight cap.

Ezra Elliot was the only other fighter who weighed over his limit as he was 1.5 pounds more than his featherweight cutoff.

Here’s a full look at the weigh-in results.

Main card

Main event (middleweight): Dricus Du Plessis (185.5) vs. Kamaru Usman (186)

Co-main event (middleweight): Jared Cannonier (185) vs. Christian Leroy Duncan (185.5)

Lightweight: Chase Hooper (157.5) vs. Mitch Ramirez (155.5)

Women’s strawweight: Tabatha Ricci (116) vs. Fatima Kline (115.5)

Advertisement

Featherweight: Tommy McMillen (146) vs. Alberto Montes (146)

Prelims

Featherweight: Austin Bashi (145) vs. Jose Miguel Delgado (146)

Welterweight: Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani (171) vs. SeokHyeon Ko (169)

Light Heavyweight: Levi Rodrigues (206) vs. Felipe Franco (205)

Flyweight: Alden Coria (126) vs. Stewart Nicoll (126)

Heavyweight: RJ Harris (262.5) vs. Alvin Hines (264)

Women’s Flyweight: Anna Melisano (126) vs. Dione Barbosa (125)

Featherweight: Ezra Elliott (147.5) vs. Damien Anderson (146)

More: UFC returns to Oklahoma City this weekend. Here’s what to know

Oklahoma City UFC Fight Night 281 odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM on Saturday, July 18:

Advertisement

Dricus Du Plessis vs. Kamaru Usman

Jared Canonnier vs. Christian Leroy Duncan

  • Christian Leroy Duncan (-400)

Chase Hooper vs. Mitch Ramirez

Tommy McMillen vs. Alberto Montes

1 / 25

Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams among the celebrities, stars attending UFC 329 in Las Vegas

Jul 11, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren looks on before Nikita Krylov fights Robert Whittaker in a light heavyweight bout during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

(Mark J. Rebilas, Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)

How to buy UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs. Usman tickets

UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs. Usman tickets can be found on Ticketmaster starting at $123.70 for upper sections.

VIP tickets, closer to the ring, can cost over $2,000, while non-VIP tickets around the same area are cheaper, but still around $1,000.

When was the last UFC fight in Oklahoma?

The last fight in Oklahoma City was a UFC Fight Night in 2017 between Kevin Lee and Michael Chiesa.

In 2009, OKC hosted UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard at the Cox Convention Center.

Advertisement

Tulsa has also hosted a pair of UFC events, including UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos at the BOK Center in 2014 and UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors in 1994.

There were plans for a fight in Oklahoma City in 2020, but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

What is UFC?

UFC stands for Ultimate Fighting Championship and is considered the premier mixed martial arts organization.

In UFC fights, two athletes compete inside an eight-sided fenced cage, called the Octagon, for three (non-title fights) or five five-minute rounds. Judges score on a 10-point system based on effective striking, grappling, aggression and Octagon control.

Advertisement

A fight can end in several ways: a knockout, a technical knockout, submission (when a fighter taps out or is locked into a painful position), or Judges’ Decision.

Restrictions include strikes to the back of the head, eye-gouging and the groin.

1 / 13

UFC Fight Night in Oklahoma City: Best photos from past events

Melvin Guillard rests between rounds during UFC Fight Night at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, September 16, 2009. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman

(The Oklahoman)

Nick Sardis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Nick? He can be reached at nsardis@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @nicksardis. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Nick’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: UFC Fight Night 281 live updates: Usman vs Du Plessis start time, TV



Source link

You may also like