UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs. Usman DFS Picks & Prop Market Predictions for Saturday, July 18, 2026
The UFC returns to action on Saturday, just one week after the controversial ending to UFC 329. UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs. Usman — also known as UFC Oklahoma City — is a 12-fight card featuring a mix of top contenders and fresh faces in the promotion. The event is headlined by two former UFC champions in Dricus Du Plessis and Kamaru Usman, with both looking to put themselves back in title contention with a win on Saturday.
Usman returns after a year away from competition since his victory over Joaquin Buckley in June 2025. The 39-year-old is moving up from his natural welterweight home to face Du Plessis at middleweight in just the second 185-pound bout of his career. Du Plessis, meanwhile, makes his return to the octagon for the first time since losing his belt to Khamzat Chimaev last August. DDP enters as a significant favorite to get past Usman in the five-round main event.
The co-main event is the second of three bouts on the card to feature ranked fighters, with Jared Cannonier taking on Christian Leroy Duncan at middleweight. Duncan enters as the second-biggest favorite on the main card, facing the 42-year-old in his first fight since last August. The Englishman will look to extend his four-fight winning streak and push his name into title contention with a win over the seasoned UFC veteran.
With that context in mind, here are the best props and DFS picks for UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs. Usman.
Chase Hooper vs. Mitch Ramirez – Exact Method of Victory: KO/TKO/DQ (+150)
Hooper makes his return to the octagon less than four months after being knocked out in March. The 26-year-old has now been stopped in the first round in back-to-back fights and will look to bounce back against Mitch Ramirez on Saturday. Primarily known for his ground game, Hooper has a chance to hand Ramirez his fourth consecutive loss since joining the UFC.
Like Hooper, Ramirez has been knocked out in each of his last two fights and in all three of his promotional appearances. He now carries a six-fight streak of either finishing his opponent or being finished himself, dating back to 2022. While Hooper is the more dangerous submission artist, this fight could well end on the feet or via ground-and-pound, given both men’s recent history.
Seokhyeon Ko vs. Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani – Seokhyeon KO To Win By Decision (+125)
Ko has impressed in his three UFC outings since debuting on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2024. The South Korean has won all three of his welterweight bouts by unanimous decision and will look to extend that streak against Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani during the prelims. Lebosnoyani enters his third UFC appearance, with his most recent also going the distance.
Both fighters showed finishing ability early in their careers, but have been unable to end fights early since joining the UFC. Look for Ko to stick with the formula that has worked so well for him — while capable of standing and trading, he has dominated opponents through grappling and control time. Expect him to look for takedowns, rack up ground control, and work the clinch to earn another decision victory.
Dricus Du Plessis vs. Kamaru Usman – Dricus Du Plessis to Win by KO/TKO/DQ or Submission (+165)
Du Plessis will look to bounce back from his first UFC loss emphatically in Saturday’s main event. The South African had been on a dominant nine-fight winning streak since joining the UFC in 2020, with six of those victories coming by submission or knockout. Twenty of his 23 professional wins have come via early stoppage, and we are backing the former champion to add another on Saturday.
DDP faces a UFC legend who is clearly in the latter stages of his career. Usman has competed just once since 2023 and is well removed from the dominant prime we witnessed over the previous decade. He has been finished professionally just twice, most recently by Leon Edwards in 2022. After such an extended layoff and stepping up in weight against a dangerous finisher, it is difficult to see Usman making it through five rounds on Saturday night.
Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs. Usman DFS Picks
Duncan headlines our DFS lineup for UFC Oklahoma City in what represents a significant opportunity to push himself firmly into title contention. Like Usman, the 42-year-old Cannonier is in the twilight of his career and faces a hungry contender eager to make his mark. Look for Duncan to add to his five UFC knockouts and extend his winning streak against the #10-ranked middleweight contender.
Ramirez is our first budget selection and a genuine upset candidate on Saturday evening. As discussed, the Hooper vs. Ramirez fight has a strong chance of ending early — not because the favorite is an overwhelmingly dominant force, but because Hooper has shown chin issues in back-to-back fights and Ramirez carries real knockout power.
Alvin Hines looks to bounce back from the first loss of his professional career in his UFC debut, which also ended his 100% finish rate entering the promotion. He takes on RJ Harris, a 27-year-old making his promotional debut, in a heavyweight bout with Hines as the slight favorite. The 34-year-old brings a more complete MMA game with elite grappling and knockout power, but will need to weather an early aggressive onslaught from Harris, who has shown that tendency throughout his career.
The second budget option in our lineup is Brazilian light heavyweight Felipe Franco, taking on fellow Brazilian Levi Rodrigues Jr. in his third UFC appearance. Franco entered the promotion with a perfect 10-0 record and a 100% finish rate, but has gone 0-2 since joining. He now faces the dangerous Rodrigues Jr., who has knocked out all five of his professional opponents and had a no contest in his UFC debut on Dana White’s Contender Series. While Rodrigues Jr. possesses serious early power, a more experienced opponent capable of changing levels could cause him real problems here.
Alden Coria comes in as the card’s most expensive fighter and the heaviest favorite at -1100. The 28-year-old flyweight looks like a future title contender after two impressive UFC outings and now takes on a veteran Australian who has lost all three of his promotional fights. Coria has finished nine of his 12 professional opponents, and an early stoppage here would more than justify his price tag.
Alberto Montes rounds out our lineup, with the Venezuelan looking to add another submission to his impressive record. Montes has submitted each of his first two UFC opponents and now faces undefeated Tommy McMillen in a featherweight bout. There has been significant line movement on this fight, with Montes originally a heavy favorite before drifting to a slight underdog with under 48 hours to go. Montes will need to utilize his ground game to neutralize McMillen’s power and look to land his patented anaconda choke to take down the unbeaten fighter.
Photo Credit: REUTERS
