Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley II: The Big British Heavyweight Rematch

Daniel Dubois puts his WBO heavyweight title on the line against former champion Fabio Wardley following their thrilling first battle in May.

British heavyweight boxing is once again poised to deliver high-stakes drama on the world stage. On October 17, 2026, Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley will renew their rivalry under the lights at London's iconic The O2 arena. The WBO world heavyweight championship is up for grabs once again, but this time the roles are reversed: Dubois enters as the defending champion, while Wardley returns as the challenger looking to avenge his solitary professional defeat.

Their initial encounter unfolded on May 9, 2026, at Manchester's Co-op Live arena. Wardley, putting his WBO belt on the line, started at a blistering pace. Just ten seconds into the opening round, he floored Dubois with a sharp straight right before sending him to the canvas again in the third.

Despite the nightmare opening rounds, Dubois displayed immense resilience and gradually turned the tide. As the fight wore on, Wardley faded under a relentless barrage, suffering severe swelling around his right eye. The end came at 0:28 of the 11th round, when the referee intervened after a punishing assault from Dubois to declare a technical knockout (TKO), crowning him world heavyweight champion for the second time in his career.

The 31-year-old Wardley holds a professional record of 20 wins (19 by KO), 1 loss, and 1 draw. He captured the British heavyweight crown in 2022 by stopping Nathan Gorman, and later delivered an emphatic first-round knockout victory over Frazer Clarke in October 2024.

In June 2025, Wardley claimed the vacant WBA interim title with a stoppage over Justis Huni, followed by an 11th-round TKO triumph against former world champion Joseph Parker for the WBO interim belt that October. By November 2025, he was elevated to full WBO world champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the strap.

The 29-year-old Daniel "Dynamite" Dubois carries a formidable 23-3 ledger with 22 knockouts, boasting a stoppage rate north of 95%. He first made headlines in 2019 when he became the youngest British heavyweight champion at just 21 years of age.

Dubois is a former WBA (Regular) champion (2022–2023) and held the IBF world title across 2024–2025. His standout victories include a 10th-round stoppage of Jarrell Miller, an eighth-round knockout of Filip Hrgovic, and an unforgettable display in front of 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in September 2024, dropping Anthony Joshua four times before securing a fifth-round KO.

Tensions have run high ahead of the October 17 rematch at The O2 arena. Wardley's camp has demanded a "strict referee," alleging Dubois used illegal tactics and headbutts in their first meeting. Dubois' trainer, Don Charles, dismissed the claims as a sign of "insecurity and weakness." Meanwhile, Dubois stated that he remains fully dialed in, aiming to close the chapter "faster and more clinically."