The prophet PBUH said:
"If Allah intends good for anybody then he gives him understanding (fiqh) in deen".
It is not possible for the one with understanding (fiqh) to be without usul al_fiqh or for the ususli (the one who knows usul al-fiqh) to do without fiqh if he wants to have understanding (of the deen). (shaykh Al-Uthaymin, Kitab Al-Ilm)