By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Caption: Dricus du Plessis of South Africa takes on Khamzat Chimaev of the United Arab Emirates during their middleweight title bout in UFC 319 at the United Center on August 16, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images).
SuperSport secured the broadcast rights of the blockbuster middleweight showdown between South African former champion Dricus “Stillknocks” du Plessis and former welterweight kingpin Kamaru “The Nigerian Nightmare” Usman in the UFC Fight Night 281 in Oklahoma City.
The showdown promises to capture the attention of fans across the continent as two former world champions battle for redemption, continental bragging rights and a pathway back to UFC championship glory.
Du Plessis will head into his latest fight as a former middleweight title holder, having recorded two successful defences of the belt in a memorable run in the UFC over the last couple of years.
The 32-year-old lost the middleweight belt on 16 August 2025, suffering a unanimous decision defeat against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC319 in Chicago, Illinois.
Usman, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest welterweights in UFC history, made five successful title defences in the division before moving to middleweight in 2023.
In his middleweight debut, the 39-year-old suffered a Majority Decision loss against Chimaev at UFC294 in October 2023 before briefly returning to the welterweight class.
The Nigerian last fought on 14 June 2025, recording a Unanimous Decision win against Joaquin Buckley at UFC on ESPN: Usman v Buckley, where he claimed the Fight of the Night award.
“This fight represents far more than a UFC main event,” said Rendani Ramovha, CANAL+ Director for Content, Sports, in English and Portuguese-speaking Africa.
“It is a celebration of African excellence at the very highest level. Seeing South Africa’s Dricus du Plessis take on Nigeria’s Kamaru Usman in such a significant contest is a proud moment for the continent. SuperSport is committed to bringing fans closer to these iconic sporting moments through world-class coverage that reflects the passion and diversity of African audiences.”
Coverage begins with the Preliminary Card on SuperSport Action (Channel 210) from 23:00 CAT on Saturday evening, before the Main Card starts at 02:00 CAT on Sunday morning on SuperSport Grandstand (Channel 201) and SuperSport Action (Channel 210). The main event between Dricus du Plessis and Kamaru Usman is expected to begin at approximately 04:15 CAT.