Kamaru Usman Reveals Torn Pec, Questions Retirement - MMA Mania
Former UFC champion Kamaru Usman suffered a loss to Dricus du Plessis while fighting with a torn pectoral muscle. His team confirmed the injury after the fight, though Usman declined to use it as an excuse for his performance.
Why it matters
The revelation sheds light on the physical risks athletes take in combat sports and provides context for a major upset in the UFC rankings.
Hangin’ em up?
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight kingpin Kamaru Usman suffered a lopsided unanimous decision loss to former Middleweight roost-ruler Dricus du Plessis in the main event of UFC Oklahoma City last weekend (Sat., July 18, 2026) inside Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
While Usman had a strong fifth round, the former Welterweight champion was not very competitive with Du Plessis for most of the fight. He was rocked several times, struggled to close distance and was unable to consistently take the South African down to implement his wrestling game.
As it turns out, there may have been a pretty significant reason for that.
Usman was apparently compromised.
During the latest episode of his Pound 4 Pound podcast, Usman’s co-host, former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo, revealed that “The Nigerian Nightmare” fought Du Plessis with a torn pec.
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