Daniel Dubois vs. Fabio Wardley II - Autumn 2026

[Ruthless-RKO]

Daniel Dubois 'ready to go', Fabio Wardley warned

Daniel Dubois has rested and is eager to return to training camp. The rest, following his gruelling victory over Fabio Wardley, lasted around a fortnight.

Mohammed Ali, Dubois’ ‘Head of Performance Analysis’, insists, in fact, that Dubois wouldn’t have needed those 14 nights of rest, he would only have required one.

"When he beats someone up, he is ready for the next day. I don't think he needs a full recovery,” Ali told TalkSPORT.

The newly minted WBO heavyweight beltholder rebounded from a July 2025 loss to Oleksandr Usyk to twice get off the floor and administer a brutal beating to the gutsy Wardley, 20-1-1 (19 KOs), on May 9.

It was his first victory since a swashbuckling three-fight series saw him stop Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and, in September 2024, Anthony Joshua.

"Daniel is ready to go back in to training now,” Ali said.

"He was ready after Anthony Joshua, Jarrell Miller and, yeah, he is ready again.”

That might be bad news for Wardley, who ended the fight both badly fatigued and nursing an array of facial injuries. Even so, he quickly triggered his right to a rematch with Dubois, 23-3 (22 KOs), but there remains doubt if it will actually go ahead.

"I think the next event will be even better, but I think Fabio is taking a massive risk,” said Ali.

"I think the rematch was something that triggered in his mind, I feel like it was done instinctively rather than thought through."

[londonwar]

Don't like all these rematches.

[tiny_acres]

Don't like all these rematches.

I don't think too many people do like all of these mandatory rematches.
It appears that is what boxing has become though. So for now we are stuck seeing them.

[joshj909]

Don't like all these rematches.

I don't think too many people do like all of these mandatory rematches.
It appears that is what boxing has become though. So for now we are stuck seeing them.

I think a lot of it is coming from the orgs being bad with enforcing mandatories and also giving them bad mandatories. By enforcing more mandatories then they can't have time for the rematches or they'll lose their belt and if they forced better mandatories then they won't be forced to include it in contacts. I know this wasn't s mandatory but if the winner was forced to defend against someone else then they'd have to drop the belt for this rematch which defeats the purpose and would probably scrap the rematch.

[coneye]

Wardley has the equalizer no doubt but he dont have the skills . Anc hes not gonna learn them in this shorg amojnt of time and if he could he needs a coach who could teach them too him . So really all in all unless Dd gets ovef confident and leaves himself open it looks like dejavu

[Ruthless-RKO]

Daniel Dubois admits surprise after Fabio Wardley triggers immediate rematch clause

Daniel Dubois is set to defend his WBO heavyweight world title against Fabio Wardley after the Ipswich man activated his contractual rematch clause.

The two British punchers starred in one of the most thrilling and brutal heavyweight affairs in recent memory, with Dubois surviving two early knockdowns to take control and beat Wardley to a referee stoppage in the eleventh round.

Speaking to Boxing King Media, Dubois first reflected on the win.

“I just thought, ‘yeah, I’ve proved you all wrong again.’ Just the victory for me, my dad, my team and the whole circle, it was just a [satisfying] victory for them. I know all the hard work they put in behind the scenes.”

Given the damage Wardley sustained as the fight went on, many felt he might take time away from the sport to recover or opt for a steadier route back towards title contention. Ultimately, however, the opportunity to reclaim the belt he gained after beating Joseph Parker last year proved too good to turn down.

When asked whether he was surprised Wardley chose to exercise the clause, Dubois admitted there was a degree of uncertainty over the challenger’s intentions.

“A little bit [surprised]. We’ll see, it could be a tactical move, you never know … I’m ready for whatever’s next.”

Promoter Frank~Warren says fans will see the rematch in 2026 and believes it is now big enough to fill a stadium. Wherever it lands, there is little doubt that the two men deserve as many eyes on their rivalry as possible given what was left in the ring last time around.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Daniel Dubois won't wait around too long for Fabio Wardley rematch

Daniel Dubois, who claimed the WBO heavyweight title from Fabio Wardley last month, will not wait around too long for the rematch. Less than one week after Dubois halted Wardley in 11 violent rounds, the vanquished former beltholder triggered his contracted right for a rematch.

Wardley, however, took some serious punishment along the way and will need time to recover.

There are timelines at play, however. The 31-year-old had to quickly confirm he wanted the return. Now there is a deadline in place for Wardley, 20-1-1 (19 KOs), to formally agree a date. Should his recovery take too long, however, Dubois is happy to move on.

“I’m not going to wait on no one,” the 28-year-old told TalkSPORT. "I’m going to get busy with that belt and defend that belt. I can’t wait to start improving and maximising what I’ve been working on since I was a little kid.”

If the rematch is next for Dubois, 23-3 (22 KOs), he expects to win more emphatically.

“I expect to be a lot better, an improved version of myself now that I’m champion. It’s time to go and clean up this division again. I’m on my journey to getting all the belts and securing my legacy.

“I would maybe have [preferred to fight] someone else, travel with that belt. But if we’ve got to do it again, we’ll do it again.”

Fans will welcome a rerun. The first one, inside Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena, was a genuine thriller as Dubois survived two early knockdowns to pummel the resistance from Wardley.

“It’s a fight, man,” he said when asked about his rickety start. “You get in the shower you’re going to get wet. I had to roll with the punches. It was a great fight, though, I enjoyed it.

"When you’re in a fight you can feel it [when your opponent is starting to fade]. But shout out to him, he’s a great gladiator and a great warrior. He put on a spectacular fight – it takes two to tango.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Dubois Wants Wardley Rematch Sooner Rather Than Later

Almost a month has passed since Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley went to war.

Dubois picked himself up from two early knockdowns May 9 to stop Wardley in the 11th round of a violent WBO heavyweight title fight at Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England. Given the brutal nature of the fight, it was slightly surprising when Wardley quickly triggered a contractual clause entitling him to an immediate rematch.

Just how immediate remains to be seen.

Although he never stopped trying to win, Wardley eventually absorbed an incredible amount of punishment before being stopped. Anybody who witnessed the 31-year-old former champion’s remarkable display of bravery and toughness won’t begrudge him taking every possible moment to recover mentally and physically.

London’s Dubois (23-3, 22 KOs) understands that he is contractually obliged to fight Wardley (20-1-1, 19 KOs) again and has no problem with accommodating the former champion. The two-time heavyweight titleholder would just like to do it sooner rather than later.

“Well, that’s what they’re talking about, but I’m not going to wait on no one,” Dubois, The Ring’s No. 1 heavyweight contender, said when asked about a rematch during an appearance on talkSPORT. “I’m going to get busy with that belt, defend that belt, and I can’t wait to start improving, getting out there, and just maximizing what we’ve done and what we’ve worked on since I was a little kid, being taken to the gym by my dad, and now we’re here. It’s been a good journey.”

Dubois reiterated that his ultimate aim is to become the undisputed heavyweight champion. To do that, he would need to dethrone Oleksandr Usyk, his old nemesis and The Ring, IBF, WBA and WBC champion.

Ukraine’s Usyk stopped Dubois in the ninth round of Dubois’ bid to become a unified champ in August 2023. He regrouped well and won the IBF belt when he knocked out former unified champ Anthony Joshua in the fifth round of their bout in September 2024.

Dubois got back in the ring with Usyk less than two years after their first fight, but he was knocked out in the fifth round of their rematch July 19 at Wembley Stadium in London, where he also knocked out Joshua.

Usyk (25-0, 16 KOs) admits that he is nearing the end of his outstanding career. He did say, though, that he would like one of his final fights to be against the winner of the fight between Wardley and Dubois.

How much interest a third Usyk-Dubois bout would generate remains to be seen. The WBC made it more unlikely Monday by announcing that it will order Usyk to defend his WBC belt against Germany’s Agit Kabayel next.

Dubois wouldn’t shy away from a third fight with Usyk and feels like he is now in a much better place to be successful.

“Whoever it is, I’ve got to take care of him,” Dubois said. “I think we’ll just cover up some of the holes I had in my game and my team last time, so I feel like it’s just going to be a whole new complete fighter and I;m just going to be out to get him. That’s it – out to get him. Get the belts as well.”

[gilgamesh]

I personally kinda hope the rematch doesn't happen. Wardley could possibly win a rematch if he works on his skills, and makes some big leaps in technique, but he won't be able to do that in a few short months. It'd take years for him to make up the gap that we saw in the 1st fight.

Only way he wins the rematch you feel is if he lands a well timed KO punch, and just catches Dubois right on the button. Aside from that though, there's no reason to expect anything different from what we saw before. It was certainly entertaining enough to want to see it again, but it surely wouldn't do Wardley any good to take another beating like that.

[JC]

I personally kinda hope the rematch doesn't happen. Wardley could possibly win a rematch if he works on his skills, and makes some big leaps in technique, but he won't be able to do that in a few short months. It'd take years for him to make up the gap that we saw in the 1st fight.

Only way he wins the rematch you feel is if he lands a well timed KO punch, and just catches Dubois right on the button. Aside from that though, there's no reason to expect anything different from what we saw before. It was certainly entertaining enough to want to see it again, but it surely wouldn't do Wardley any good to take another beating like that.

I think he might go for broke to try and get Dubois out early. Seems like his best hope.

[Oiky]

Where Wardley's concerned I agree with Froch when he said putting Dubois down so early was his undoing, as it gave him too much confidence and he threw any sort of tactic right out of the window

I think in the rematch he's better off trying to ride it out a bit, not in a silly fashion just be conservative, do what you gotta do to survive the rounds, even if that look's negative and boring, and then start the onslaught when dubois starts to tire

I actually thought there was times in that fight where a right hand from Wardley could do serious damage as Dubois looked knackered, problem was, so was Wardley. Like mentioned, he cant close that skill gap, so if I was Wardley I'd just say f**k it and try and soak it up til DDD slows and then go for it, I'd work on conditioning, movement, and I certainly just wouldln't throw the right hand again