Kamaru Usman Weighs Retirement at 39 After Lopsided Loss to Dricus du Plessis

Q: Is Kamaru Usman's career truly over, or is Dana White right that the former champion still 'has it'?

Kamaru Usman’s career is not definitively over, but the evidence suggests he is no longer operating at championship level, and retirement is a reasonable option. Dana White is partly right that Usman “still has it” in the narrow sense that he remains durable, competitive and credible against elite opposition. Against Dricus du Plessis, a natural middleweight and former champion, Usman lasted 25 minutes, showed toughness, and never stopped trying. White’s point about Usman’s chin and willingness to fight a bigger man is supported by the fact that he absorbed heavy damage and still reached the final bell. But the broader picture is harder to ignore. Usman is 39, has lost four of his last five fights, and the du Plessis bout was not a close defeat. He was outstruck badly, took 132 significant strikes, including 102 to the head, and was wobbled multiple times in a fight scored 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46. Usman himself said the performance did not represent him or his team, and that this loss made him question continuing more seriously than previous setbacks. That makes this less about whether he can still fight and more about whether he can still contend safely and meaningfully at the top. At welterweight, his path back is difficult; at middleweight, the size and power gap looked severe. If Usman returns, it likely should be in a carefully chosen matchup, not a title run. If he retires now, he leaves as one of the greatest welterweights in UFC history.

3 articles · Updated · MMA Fighting · Jul 23

Usman said he must decide with his coaches and family whether to book another fight or leave MMA after Saturday’s one-sided UFC Oklahoma City main-event loss.
The 39-year-old framed the setback as different from his earlier defeats, saying past losses still showed something to build on, while this one looked like he "bit off more than I could chew."
Usman said he is not focused on whether to stay at middleweight or return to welterweight, with his immediate concern centered on whether continuing is worth the toll on himself and his team.
No timetable was given for the decision, but retirement would close the career of a former welterweight champion widely regarded as one of the division’s best and a likely UFC Hall of Famer.