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Five months after one of the best all-British heavyweight fights in years, Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley meet again. Dubois (23-3, 22 KOs) makes the first defence of the WBO heavyweight title he took from Wardley in Manchester. Wardley (20-1-1, 19 KOs) is looking for revenge after the first loss of his professional career. Wardley could have taken a warm-up fight first. He chose to go straight back in with the man who beat him. That decision makes Saturday’s rematch at The O2 Arena either a brave gamble or a serious mistake.
Dubois vs Wardley 2: Fight Date, Venue and Ringwalk Time
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, October 17 |
| Venue | The O2 Arena, London |
| Promoter | Queensberry Promotions |
| Broadcast start | 7pm BST / 2pm ET / 11am PT |
| Main event ringwalks (approx.) | 10.30pm BST |
| Broadcaster | DAZN PPV and DAZN Ultimate |
How Dubois Beat Wardley in Their First Fight
Wardley started perfectly. He dropped Dubois in the first round and again in the third, and for a while it looked like the Ipswich fighter would retain his title early. Then the fight turned completely.
Dubois steadied himself and took over the centre of the ring. He controlled the fight behind his jab and landed power shots almost whenever he wanted. Wardley’s face was bloodied and swollen, but he refused to go down and kept walking forward. The referee finally stopped the fight in Round 11. Dubois left with the belt and Wardley’s unbeaten record, and the fight is now a strong contender for Fight of the Year.
What’s at Stake: Dubois’ Bid to Be the World’s Top Heavyweight
This fight is about more than one belt. The top of the heavyweight division is unusually open, and Dubois has a real chance to claim the No. 1 spot.
- Oleksandr Usyk vacated his titles after becoming undisputed champion and looks close to the end of his career.
- Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are expected to fight each other next.
- Moses Itauma is rebuilding after the first loss of his career. Filip Hrgovic came from behind to stop him and win the vacant IBF heavyweight title at The O2 in August.
- The other titleholders are Murat Gassiev, WBC champion Agit Kabayel and IBF champion Filip Hrgovic, whom Dubois has already beaten.
That last name could shape Dubois’ next fight. Hrgovic’s only defeat came against Dubois in 2024, and after beating Itauma he said he wants to face Dubois and then Kabayel. A second win over Wardley would put Dubois in a strong position to choose his next opponent. A loss would leave him needing to rebuild again.
For Wardley, the question is simpler and harder to answer: what does he have left? He took a heavy beating in the first fight, and many fighters never fully recover from a loss like that. Coming straight back into a rematch, with no warm-up fight, will be judged entirely on the result.
Dubois vs Wardley 2 Keys to Victory
Dubois: A Sharper Start and the Jab
Dubois has admitted the first fight came at a difficult time. He was coming off a defeat and says nerves affected him in the opening rounds. This time he describes a smoother training camp and a fresh start. He says he needs to be “sharp off the mark” and more precise, and he wants to win in style.
If he starts well, the second half of the first fight shows how dangerous he is. His jab controlled the action, his power wore Wardley down, and he looked like the better fighter for most of the night. Former super middleweight world champion George Groves highlighted the same strengths on the Toe2Toe podcast. He pointed to Dubois’ better movement, faster hands and exceptional power. Groves also thinks the May knockdowns came from a shot high on the temple, not a weakness in Dubois’ chin. When Dubois takes a clean punch on the chin, Groves says, he absorbs it well.
Wardley: Discipline Over Haymakers
Wardley has been honest about what went wrong. He says the early knockdowns made him overeager. He got “trigger-happy” and kept loading up on the right hand to finish the fight. When Dubois survived those rounds, Wardley had used too much energy and had no real alternative plan.
The 31-year-old points to his ability to adapt, adjust and develop, and he still expects to win by knockout. Saturday will show whether that’s true. He needs to pick his moments and stop throwing every punch with knockout intent, while still landing the right hand that hurt Dubois twice in May.
Dubois vs Wardley Tale of the Tape
| Daniel Dubois | Fabio Wardley | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 23-3 (22 KOs) | 20-1-1 (19 KOs) |
| Height | 6ft 5in | 6ft 5in |
| Reach | 78in | 78in |
| Status | WBO champion | Former WBO champion |
| Key wins | Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, Anthony Joshua, Fabio Wardley | Joseph Parker, Frazer Clarke (rematch), Justis Huni |
| Losses | Two to Oleksandr Usyk, plus one other | Dubois |
Wardley’s path to the title was unusual. He became WBO champion after beating Joseph Parker and then being upgraded when Usyk vacated the belt. Dubois has had plenty of critics, but his wins over Jarrell Miller, Hrgovic and Joshua show his toughness and quality. Even his two losses to Usyk haven’t slowed him down for long.
Dubois vs Wardley 2 Undercard: Who Else Is Fighting?
Queensberry has built the undercard around a British title fight and an Olympic champion:
- Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley: 12 rounds, WBO heavyweight title
- Louie O’Doherty vs Michael Gomez Jr: 12 rounds, O’Doherty’s British and Commonwealth lightweight titles (co-main event)
- Bakhodir Jalolov vs Solomon Dacres: 10 rounds, heavyweight
- Nelson Birchall vs Levi Gilles: super-featherweight
- Tony Curtis vs Kerim Agius: 8 rounds, super-flyweight
- Manny Safari vs Jake Pollard: 4 rounds, super-bantamweight
- Adam Olaniyan: heavyweight
The co-main event has a strong comeback story. Gomez Jr looked close to the end of his career after losing to Reece Bellotti in early 2025. Stoppage wins over Jordan Flynn and Lee McGregor this year have changed that, and now he has a chance to win British and Commonwealth titles.
Jalolov is 17 fights into his pro career and still hasn’t had a defining win. He’s expected to beat Dacres, but his plans to return to the Olympics for Los Angeles 2028 raise questions about how committed he is to the professional game.
Can Wardley Turn the Tables in the Rematch?
This is the main question going into Saturday. Apart from the two knockdowns, Dubois controlled the first fight and seemed to get stronger as it went on. Wardley’s chin and courage aren’t in doubt. But to reverse the result, he needs either to finish Dubois early or to become a more patient, selective fighter in a single camp.
Wardley still has the punching power to change the fight with one shot, so Dubois can’t relax for a second. If Wardley lands that right hand again and follows up properly this time, the rematch could look very different. For full Dubois vs Wardley 2 odds and betting analysis, head to Tips.gg.
Dubois vs Wardley 2 FAQ
When is Dubois vs Wardley 2?
Saturday, October 17, at The O2 Arena in London. Main-event ringwalks are expected around 10.30pm BST.
Who won the first fight between Dubois and Wardley?
Dubois. He got up from knockdowns in rounds one and three and stopped Wardley in Round 11 to win the WBO heavyweight title.
What title is on the line?
Dubois’ WBO heavyweight championship. It’s his first defence.
Who is the co-main event?
Louie O’Doherty defends his British and Commonwealth lightweight titles against Michael Gomez Jr.
What the Winner Gets Next
With Usyk gone, Joshua and Fury focused on each other and Itauma rebuilding, Saturday’s winner has a strong claim to be the best heavyweight in the world. Hrgovic is already calling for a fight with Dubois, and Kabayel’s WBC title is the obvious next target after that. If Dubois wins, he becomes a central figure in a division that suddenly has no clear leader. If Wardley wins, he completes a remarkable comeback and almost certainly sets up a third fight.