UFC Fight Night Best Betting Picks for Du Plessis vs. Usman in OKC

For the first time in nearly a decade, the UFC Octagon lands in Sooner territory, as UFC Oklahoma City takes place on July 18. It’s the UFC’s first visit to the capital of Oklahoma since a Fight Night card in June 2017.

The main event will be a middleweight contest featuring the returns of two former champions, as Dricus Du Plessis battles Kamaru Usman.

This marks Du Plessis’ first fight since losing the UFC middleweight championship to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 11 months ago. DDP captured the title by defeating Sean Strickland at UFC 297, successfully retaining against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 and in a rematch with Strickland at UFC 312.

Meanwhile, this marks Usman’s first fight since defeating Joaquin Buckley in the main event of UFC Atlanta in June 2025. That fight was the former welterweight champion’s first since UFC 294 in October 2023, when he took a short-notice bout against Chimaev, marking Usman’s middleweight debut, with Usman losing via majority decision.

The co-main event will also be held at middleweight, as Jared Cannonier takes on Christian Leroy Duncan. Cannonier also last fought at UFC 319, losing to Michael “Venom” Page. He’s lost three of his last four. CLD is 7-2 in the UFC and has won four straight, most recently defeating Roman Dolidze at UFC London in March.

The rest of the main card will feature Chase Hooper vs. Mitch Ramirez, Tabatha Ricci vs. Fatima Kline, and Tommy McMillen vs. Alberto Montes.

DRICUS DU PLESSIS VS KAMARU USMAN

We’ve seen Dricus Du Plessis look to pressure his opponents and bring the fight to them early, looking to establish control from the get-go and wear down an opponent’s will over time. The problem is he’s taking on someone with a strong wrestling pedigree and someone who’s used to fights going a full 25 minutes in the Octagon. For Usman, it’ll be about using his grappling expertise to stop any DDP takedown attempts and aim for his own.

The question is going to be how Usman fares at a new weight class – because this time he has a full training camp for the fight. He’s got a similar size to DDP and both men have championship experience. So this is a perfect test for the former welterweight king.

BET: Du Plessis vs. Usman to go OVER 3.5 rounds (BetMGM: -200)

JARED CANNONIER VS CHRISTIAN LEROY DUNCAN

Christian Leroy Duncan has been one of the most fun middleweights to watch since his 2023 UFC debut. The former Cage Warriors champion has some incredible striking to him, particularly with his kicks, and he finds creative ways to land on his opponent from all angles. Jared Cannonier is a pro with plenty of experience and a former title challenger. He’s got power and a good grappling game, but his momentum has stalled with three losses in his last four – as well as showing signs of his 42-year-old age.

CLD will have a bit of a size advantage here, and he should use his athletic, quicker self to keep distance and land where he can, chopping Cannonier down before exploding with combinations. Cannonier, meanwhile, should cut off the cage and look to make a pressure-filled fight, limiting CLD’s offense as he tries to test the younger fighter’s chin.

BET: Leroy Duncan via decision (FanDuel: +135)

TOMMY MCMILLEN VS ALBERTO MONTES

I love this fight because it’s going to be all about violence with two known finishers. Tommy McMillen has scored first-round finishes in almost every fight he’s been in, including his impressive UFC debut against Manolo Zecchini in April. The only non-finish he has is his majority decision win over David Mgoyan on Dana White’s Contender Series last year. Montes, meanwhile, choked out Carlos Calderon on DWCS in 2024 and won his UFC debut this past March with a submission of Ricky Turcios.

Both men know the other can bring violence, and hints of bad blood between the two spark the idea more that they’ll throw down here. Both men might favor submission victories, but they’ll settle for just getting any kind of finish on the other. This one will be violent, but quick.

BET: McMillen vs. Montes to go UNDER 1.5 rounds (DraftKings & BetMGM: +100)