Fabio Wardley expects early finish in Daniel Dubois rematch, says he must adapt

Fabio Wardley does not expect his rematch with Daniel Dubois to trouble the judges, and the former WBO heavyweight champion admits the approach that cost him the belt in May has to change.

Dubois, 23-3 (22 KOs), defends the WBO title against Wardley on Saturday at The O2 Arena in London. In Wardley’s first defense, at Manchester’s Co-op Live on May 9, he put Dubois down in the first and third rounds, but Dubois rallied and referee Howard Foster stopped it in the 11th round.

“I’ve made a career out of finishing fights before the bell, not needing judges,” Wardley, 20-1-1 (19 KOs), told KO On SI ahead of the rematch.

Wardley plans to study the first fight closely with his team. “So we’re going to go back to the drawing board, pick apart those moments, pick apart you stylistically,” Wardley said, before predicting a quick payoff: “...and within the first quarter of the fight, you’ll be gone, you’ll be outta there.”

Wardley has admitted he was single-minded in the first fight. The early knockdown may have given him a false sense of confidence that he could finish the job early, before Dubois battled back. “I became a victim of my own success,” Wardley said.

The violent ending in Manchester did not make Wardley hesitate over taking the rematch, and Frank Warren, who works with both heavyweights, confirmed a rematch clause in the contract in the ring after the first fight. Wardley says he has no excuses for the loss or for the rematch.

Dubois is promising a different start from the one in Manchester. “I have got to put things right this time, be sharp off the mark, more precise, and take him out in style this time,” Dubois said at a press conference.

Wardley stopped Joseph Parker in the 11th round at The O2 in October 2025 to win the WBO interim title. The loss to Dubois is the only defeat of his career.

Dubois arrived in Manchester off a fifth-round knockout loss.