RUN IT BACK! Dubois vs. Wardley the Rematch for the WBO heavyweight Title

Daniel Dubois defends his WBO heavyweight title against Fabio Wardley in a high-stakes rematch at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday, October 17, 2026.

Just five months after their violent May clash in Manchester—widely regarded as a Fight of the Year contender—the British heavyweights run it back. Dubois (23-3, 22 KOs) dethroned Wardley (20-1-1, 19 KOs) with an 11th-round stoppage after surviving two early knockdowns. Wardley immediately activated the rematch clause, setting up this immediate sequel promoted by Queensberry.

Breaking Down The Fighters

Daniel “Dynamite” Dubois

Record: 23-3, (22 KOs)
Age: 29
Height/Reach: 6’5”/ 78 inches
Stance: Orthodox
Hometown: London, England

Dubois previously held the IBF title, which he defended by stopping Anthony Joshua in five rounds in 2024 before losing it (and more) to Oleksandr Usyk. His other notable wins include stoppages of Filip Hrgovic and Jarrell Miller. He is a high-volume power puncher with a stiff jab, solid movement for a heavyweight, and improving resilience under pressure. Dubois fights rarely see the closing the bell.

Looking to tryout the sports prediction market??? Get the best odds on Prophet X! prophetx.onelink.me/E5Yi/VINNY

Fabio Wardley

Record: 20-1-1, (19 KOs)
Age: 31
Height/Reach: 6’5”/ 78 inches
Stance: Orthodox
Hometown: Ipswich, England

Wardley started boxing at 21 after white-collar bouts and a job in recruitment, with no amateur career. Wardley is an explosive orthodox puncher with a 95% knockout rate among his wins.

He claimed the vacant WBO title (via interim elevation) after stopping Joseph Parker and has other notable wins over Justis Huni and Frazer Clarke (in a rematch). His only pro loss came against Dubois; he is known for heart, early explosiveness, and unfortunately a cut-prone nose.

The tale of the tape is nearly identical physically, and both men stop almost everyone they beat (combined 41 of 43 wins by KO/TKO).

First Fight Recap & Analysis

On May 9, 2026, at Co-op Live in Manchester, Wardley dropped Dubois roughly 10 seconds in with a right hand, then again in round 3. Dubois recovered, settled behind his jab, and systematically broke Wardley down. Referee Howard Foster stopped it in the 11th with Wardley bloodied (especially the nose) and a swollen eye but still on his feet. Dubois landed 179 of 391 punches (45.8%) to Wardley’s 97 of 358 (27.1%), including a 87-40 edge in power punches.

For the rematch, expect another war but with adjustments. Dubois has stressed he won’t start slowly again, feels freer as champion, and has dismissed Wardley’s power (calling the shots ones he “didn’t feel”). His jab, hand speed, and ability to accumulate damage give him clear edges in boxing skill and elite experience. Wardley proved he can hurt Dubois early and has shown he can make adjustments in rematches (as he did against Clarke). His path is likely through early explosiveness or capitalizing on any Dubois complacency. Cut concerns remain for Wardley, and prolonged exchanges favor the harder, more accurate puncher in Dubois. Former champions such as George Groves have backed Dubois as the superior technician with “crazy power.”

Odds heavily favor the champion.

My Official Pick

Daniel Dubois by stoppage, rounds 7-10.

Dubois has the better overall skill set, recovered well from adversity in the first fight, and now carries the confidence of the champion. Wardley’s heart and power make an early upset possible, but sustained output and cleaner punching should see Dubois break him down again—likely more efficiently this time. A decision is possible given Wardley’s chin, but stoppage remains the most probable outcome.

Where to Watch

The fight streams exclusively on DAZN Pay-Per-View (and is included with the DAZN Ultimate subscription tier). UK PPV pricing is typically around £24.99; US pricing is higher (around $59.99 on top of a subscription in many cases).

Main card (2 p.m. ET, DAZN PPV) | Main event ring walk at 530 ET

WBO heavyweight championship: Daniel Dubois (c) vs. Fabio Wardley
British and Commonwealth lightweight championships: Louie O’Doherty (c) vs. Michael Gomez Jr.
Heavyweight: Bakhodir Jalolov vs. Solomon Dacres
Super flyweight: Tony Curtis vs. Kerim Agius
Featherweight: Leighton Birchall vs. Luis Vara Carrillo

Preliminary card (11 a.m. ET)

Super featherweight: Nelson Birchall vs. Levi Giles
Lightweight: Fawas Aborode vs. Rashid Omar
Featherweight: Manny Safari vs. Jake Pollard
Heavyweight: Adam Olaniyan vs. Dan Garber
Super featherweight: Aaron Noriega vs. Leonardo Baez
Super featherweight: Zayn Ahmed vs. Kasey Bradnum
Middleweight: Issiah Hamilton-Allen vs. Jensen Irving

This is a rare same-year domestic heavyweight title rematch between two power punchers. Expect fireworks.

By Vinny