Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley face off during a press conference at Glasiers Hall, London. Picture date: Wednesday September 2, 2026. (Photo by Jonathan Brady/PA Images via Getty Images)
PA Images via Getty Images
The best heavyweight fight of the last 10 years has its rematch, and it’s almost impossible for Daniel Dubois Vs. Fabio Wardley II to live up to the hype. If you didn’t see the first fight, I’m going to pop it into the article below. If you did, you already know why the boxing world is buzzing about the October 17 battle. I have all the info available on the card, location and more. Let’s talk boxing.
Dubois vs. Wardley II Key Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Fight | Daniel Dubois vs. Fabio Wardley II |
| Date | Saturday, October 17, 2026 |
| Venue | The O2, Greenwich, London |
| At stake | WBO heavyweight championship |
| Promoter | Queensberry Promotions, Frank Warren |
| U.S. broadcast | DAZN |
| Daniel Dubois | 23-3, 22 KOs, champion |
| Fabio Wardley | 20-1-1, 19 KOs, challenger |
| First fight | May 9, 2026, Co-op Live Arena, Manchester |
| First fight result | Dubois by TKO at 0:28 of round 11 |
| Undercard | None announced |
Wardley activated the rematch clause six days after the first fight. He had been making a voluntary defense, and the clause expired at the end of 2026. Queensberry announced the date at the O2 on August 29, during the build-up to Moses Itauma against Filip Hrgovic, with the two men facing off for the first time since May. Dubois is from Greenwich, the borough the arena sits in. Wardley called the venue a home away from home.
In the first fight, Wardley’s attack and defense proved too basic, and the lack of diversity led to his loss of the bout and his WBO heavyweight title. Dubois has gotten better with each fight and he’s proven himself to be among the elite in the weight class. At this point, besides Oleksandr Usyk — whom he has lost to twice — is there another heavyweight in the world that he wouldn’t beat? It’s a legitimate question and one we may get an answer to if he can defeat Wardley again.
What Happened in the First Fight
Dubois was on the floor 15 seconds in, dropped by an overhand right that landed on the top of his head. He was down again in the third, taking a knee to buy himself recovery time. From there he took the fight apart. He outboxed Wardley behind the jab through the middle rounds, started letting combinations go in the sixth, and had Wardley in trouble by the ninth.
The finish came in the 11th. A right hand sent Wardley stumbling with his back turned, and referee Howard Foster stepped in at 28 seconds. Wardley never touched the canvas across the entire fight.
It made Dubois a two-time heavyweight champion and it is the frontrunner for 2026’s Fight of the Year.
More Boxing Coverage
Dubois vs. Wardley II Card
| Bout | Division | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel Dubois vs. Fabio Wardley II | Heavyweight | WBO heavyweight championship |
| Undercard | To be announced |
Queensberry has announced the main event only. Supporting bouts typically fill in over the six weeks before a card of this size, so expect the undercard to build through September.
Undisputed has to be a goal for Dubois, and at this point, it seems to be a realistic one. First things first, he has to defeat Wardley in what figures to be a knock-down-drag-out rematch
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