Major heavyweight rematch as Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley will do battle again

Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley will renew hostilities later this year after their heavyweight rematch was officially announced. 

The British rivals will collide at London’s O2 Arena on October 17 with Dubois putting his WBO heavyweight title on the line against the man he defeated earlier this year. 

Their first meeting, staged in Manchester back in May, delivered huge drama as Wardley made a blistering start and had Dubois on the floor twice in the early rounds. 

Dubois, who has shown before that he can recover from adversity, gradually worked his way into the contest before forcing the stoppage in the 11th round to become world champion once again. 

Wardley, unbeaten before that setback, wasted little time activating his rematch clause and he will now get an immediate chance to reclaim the belt he lost in one of the best heavyweight fights of the year. 

The announcement was made at the O2 on Saturday during the build-up to Moses Itauma’s clash with Filip Hrgovic, with both Dubois and Wardley going face-to-face inside the ring. Dubois is expecting another statement performance, while Wardley has made it clear that revenge is firmly on his mind as he prepares for a second crack at his domestic rival. 

Wth the heavyweight division continuing to shift following Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to vacate titles, the winner could move straight into position for even bigger opportunities in 2027.