Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley are seemingly set for an immediate rematch, with the latter activating a contract clause to face his fellow Briton again. Last Saturday, Dubois climbed off the canvas twice to stop Wardley in round 11 of an instant classic, taking the WBO heavyweight title from the 31-year-old in the process.
Wardley's Decision to Trigger Rematch Clause
Dubois, 28, was floored in rounds one and three but somehow battled back to break down Wardley in Manchester, handing the Ipswich boxer his first professional loss. In the aftermath, Frank Warren – who promotes both men – revealed that Wardley had a rematch clause. And now, Wardley has told Sky Sports that he will activate that clause to face Dubois again.
“The boxing world knows my character, and Saturday night proved that without a shred of doubt,” Wardley said. “It was a fight for the ages, but I made some mistakes that I will rectify in the rematch. Congratulations to Daniel, but I’m coming for you… and my belt!”
Timing and Injuries
It is unclear when the rematch will take place, but it will likely be scheduled for late 2026. In Saturday’s clash at the Co-op Live arena, Dubois sustained damage around his left eye, while he aggravated Wardley’s pre-existing nose injury and cut him around his right eye.
There was to be no late escape for Wardley, who had won his previous two fights while trailing on the scorecards. Against Justis Huni last June, Wardley produced a 10th-round knockout, before stopping Joseph Parker in round 11 in October. The latter result earned Wardley the interim WBO title, which was upgraded to the regular belt in November, when Oleksandr Usyk gave up the official strap.
Dubois' Championship Journey
In beating Wardley, Dubois became a two-time world champion, having previously held the IBF heavyweight title. Dubois first became a world champion in 2024, claiming the interim IBF belt by stopping Filip Hrgovic. In similar fashion to Wardley’s elevation, Dubois was upgraded to official IBF champion when Usyk vacated the regular strap. Dubois then knocked out Anthony Joshua to retain the official belt, before losing it in a rematch with Usyk last summer. Usyk stopped the Londoner for the second time in two years to become a two-time undisputed champ, before losing that status when he gave up the WBO gold in November.
