Du Plessis batters Usman, wants his belt back

A stacked Saturday delivered on every front. Dricus du Plessis dominated Kamaru Usman in Oklahoma City to relaunch his middleweight title run, Johnny Eblen finished Impa Kasanganay for interim PFL gold in Austin, and RAF 11 gave Milwaukee a Colby Covington upset, Ben Askren's emotional farewell and a post-fight brawl. Off the cards, Dana White confirmed Conor McGregor tore his ACL at UFC 329 and faces surgery.

Du Plessis batters Usman over five rounds, angles for a Strickland title fight

Former middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis returned from his UFC 319 loss to Khamzat Chimaev and dominated Kamaru Usman in the UFC Oklahoma City main event, winning a wide unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46). Du Plessis repeatedly wobbled Usman with left high kicks and knees but couldn't finish the durable former welterweight king, who rallied late in the fifth. The pair took Fight of the Night, and du Plessis called for a shot at champion Sean Strickland, whom he has already beaten twice.

Why it matters: The win drops du Plessis right back into the 185-pound title mix behind Strickland and Chimaev, though beating a smaller, aging Usman didn't fully answer questions about how he handles elite wrestlers.

Eblen elbows Kasanganay to interim PFL middleweight title, calls out van Steenis

Johnny Eblen avenged the razor-thin nature of his first meeting with Impa Kasanganay, stopping him in the third round of the PFL Austin main event to claim the interim middleweight title. A sharp inside elbow dropped Kasanganay before Eblen finished with follow-up strikes at 2:39. Undisputed champion Costello van Steenis, who withdrew from a planned rematch with Eblen and handed him his only career loss, was cageside, and the two exchanged heated words in the cage afterward.

Why it matters: Eblen sets up a unification grudge match with van Steenis, the only man to beat him, and reasserts himself as PFL's marquee 185-pound name.

Covington hands Tsarukyan his first RAF loss for inaugural crossover title

Colby Covington, who retired from the UFC to compete in RAF Wrestling, out-pointed No. 2 UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan 5-3 in the RAF 11 main event in Milwaukee to win the inaugural Cruiserweight Crossover title. The former Division 1 All-American used his size and stout takedown defense, building a 5-2 lead before surviving a desperate third period from a visibly exhausted Tsarukyan. It was Tsarukyan's first defeat in any discipline since his 2022 UFC loss to Mateusz Gamrot.

Why it matters: The result is a rare blemish for one of the sport's hottest names, though it came on the wrestling mat rather than in the cage where Tsarukyan is still chasing a UFC lightweight title shot.

Askren loses to Belal Muhammad and retires a year after double lung transplant

Ben Askren returned to competition for the first time since a double lung transplant, and lost 6-3 to former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad in the RAF 11 co-main event. The 42-year-old Olympian, who says he flatlined multiple times during last year's battle with necrotizing pneumonia, built an early 3-0 lead on defense before fading as Muhammad rallied in the third period. Askren left his shoes on the mat afterward, confirming the match was his last.

Why it matters: It closes the book on the competitive career of one of MMA's most influential wrestlers, and the comeback itself, from near death to sharing a mat with a ranked UFC contender, was the emotional centerpiece of the night.

White confirms McGregor tore his ACL, needs surgery before any return talk

Dana White confirmed that Conor McGregor suffered a torn ACL in his 69-second UFC 329 loss to Max Holloway, injuring the knee on a missed flying kick in the opening seconds. McGregor will undergo surgery and lengthy rehab, and White shut down any discussion of a next fight until the Irishman is cleared to train. McGregor, who has one bout left on his UFC deal and is lobbying to have the loss overturned to a no-contest, still wants a Holloway trilogy.

Why it matters: Surgery pushes McGregor's expected 2027 return even further out and casts fresh doubt on whether the sport's biggest draw fights again at all.

Muhammad kicks Covington at RAF 11 presser as RAF 12 grudge match is booked

The RAF 11 post-fight press conference dissolved into chaos when Belal Muhammad charged the stage and kicked at Colby Covington after a barrage of insults from both men. Security separated them, and RAF officials announced that Covington vs. Muhammad will co-headline RAF 12. Covington dismissed the matchup as "easy money," while Muhammad, who has feuded with him for years, needed to be restrained.

Why it matters: It gives RAF Wrestling its next marquee grudge match and channels a long-running UFC rivalry onto the mats, though it remains a wrestling booking rather than an MMA fight.

Duncan runs win streak to five, batters Cannonier in OKC co-main

Rising British middleweight Christian Leroy Duncan handed Jared Cannonier a unanimous decision loss (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) in the UFC Oklahoma City co-main event, extending his streak to five straight. Duncan bloodied and staggered the 42-year-old with kicks, knees and spinning elbows, though a borderline illegal knee and repeated fence grabs went unpunished by referee Herb Dean. Cannonier has now lost three of his last five.

Why it matters: Duncan pushes into the top 10 and looks like a real 185-pound contender, while another loss deepens questions about how much the veteran Cannonier has left.

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