UFC is back one week later after its biggest star went out with a whimper at UFC 329. While that Vegas card was very violent, I’m looking towards July 18’s Oklahoma card for its high-stakes fights.

One thing UFC has been lacking in 2026 is those high-stakes matchups. Plenty of fights either don’t make sense (see G-Rod vs Ferreira 2) or do nothing for either fighter no matter the result (Magomedov vs Pereira).

The promotion has had a penchant for putting on fights that just guarantee violence. But, after years of watching MMA, violence just doesn’t cut it. Yes, it helps, but narrative goes a long way in the enjoyment of the fight.

In my opinion, the stakes are the biggest ingredient in a fight. I want to see a fighter test their undefeated record against a veteran opponent. I want to see someone put their rank on the line against an up-and-comer. I want to see two high-tier prospects duke it out to see who rises to the top, and who stays where they are.

UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs Usman has all of these elements.

UFC Oklahoma Breakdown

A Familiar Challenger for Sean Strickland

At the top of the bill, Du Plessis fights Usman. Between them, they are 3-0 against the current middleweight champ, Sean Strickland. Do you see where this is going?

Rankings Eliminator in the Co-Main

The co-main event features Jared Cannonier fighting Christian Leroy Duncan; they are the #11 and #12 middleweights, respectively. Cannonier is 2-3 in his last five and needs the win. Duncan is 4-1 and will get a crack at the top-10 with a win.

Plentiful Prospects

Touted prospects Tommy McMillen and Alberto Montes fight to maintain their hype. Some of the best prospects in the promotion, Austin Bashi and Jose Delgado, lock horns in the featured prelim — expect grappling fireworks.

Fatima Kline just beat Angela Hill and could be looking at a high-ranked fight with a win over Tabatha Ricci, the latter of whom wants to return to the win column.

Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani looked a little dicey against Phil Rowe in his UFC debut. Will he look better against ‘Korean Tyson’ Seok Hyeon Ko? Ko looked phenomenal against Rowe and showed grappling levels against Oban Elliott before that.

These. Are. Stakes.

3-0 Gable Steveson winning as a -1700 favourite isn’t a shocker. McGregor shouldn’t have been close to fighting Holloway after a five-year layoff. The UFC 329 prelims were full of squash matches.