Daniel Dubois made straightforward work of Fabio Wardley in their extremely anticipated rematch.
The first battle between Dubois and Wardley in May is the frontrunner for 2026’s Fight of the Year. Saturday’s rematch at The O2 Arena in London, though, was far more one-sided.
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Dubois stopped Wardley in Round 2 to make the first protection of his WBO heavyweight title.
In their first assembly, Wardley (20-2-1, 19 KOs) knocked down Dubois (24-3, 23 KOs) just 16 seconds into the contest. This time it was Dubois’ flip to strike early; he needed 17 seconds to put Wardley on the canvas with an overhand proper.
The overhand from Dubois smashed into Wardley’s face, inflicting Wardley’s knee to contact the flooring. It was the first time Wardley had been knocked down in his profession. He stood up immediately and took more pictures from Dubois until the referee was in a position to get between the pair and administer the 10-count.
Wardley’s legs regarded unsteady as Dubois went for the end with massive bombs and Wardley tried to punch with him. Dubois landed mixture after mixture on Wardley, who wasn’t throwing much back when Dubois let his arms go, and was clearly still recovering.
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Dubois rocked Wardley again with an overhand proper in the closing 20 seconds of the opener. A barrage of pictures went in from the champion. Ben Davison, Wardley’s coach, had the towel in his hand and appeared to think about throwing it in. The referee, Steve Gray, also took a close look, but Wardley in the end survived Round 1.
He did not last much longer, though.
Early in the closing minute of Round 2, Dubois landed a proper on Wardley’s chin, but was stored away from following up because Wardley was in a position to smother him. When the pair broke from the clinch, though, Dubois backed him up with a couple of jabs and positioned a pair of rights on the facet of Wardley’s head.
Dubois continued touchdown clean rights from all angles up close. With Wardley defenseless, Davison was left with no alternative but to throw in the towel.
It was a scientific efficiency from Dubois. Many thought the rematch had come too soon for Wardley. Uncrowned predicted in its pre-fight breakdown that Wardley’s punch resistance would undergo from the fast turnaround, and that it did.
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“[I want to fight] whoever is next in line really,” Dubois said after the battle. “I’m the champion now, and I want to get some big fights in. This stage of my career — big money, big fights. You’re the man, [Queensberry promoter] Frank [Warren].”
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Other than Dubois, Warren also promotes two more world heavyweight champions, Agit Kabayel and Filip Hrgovic, which means the possibilities of the Brit touchdown a unification battle in 2027 are high. Hrgovic and Dubois confronted off in the ring after Dubois’ win.
Check out full Dubois vs. Wardley 2 outcomes and highlights below, as properly as Uncrowned’s play-by-play of the primary card.
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Main card
WBO heavyweight title: Daniel Dubois def. Fabio Wardley via second-round TKO
Lightweight: Louie O’Doherty vs. Michael Gomez Jr. declared majority draw (114-115, 114-114, 114-114)
Heavyweight: Adam Olaniyan def. Dan Garber via second-round TKO
Heavyweight: Bakhodir Jalolov def. Solomon Dacres via unanimous determination (99-91, 99-90 ×2)
Super featherweight: Nelson Birchall def. Levi Giles via seventh-round TKO
Prelims
Super flyweight: Tony Curtis def. Kerim Agius via fourth-round KO | Watch video
Super featherweight: Zayn Ahmed def. Kasey Bradnum via first-round TKO | Watch video
Featherweight: Leighton Birchall def. Luis Vara Carrillo via factors (60-54)
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Featherweight: Manny Safari def. Jake Pollard via fifth-round TKO | Watch video
Lightweight: Fawas Aborode def. Rashid Omar via fourth-round TKO | Watch video
Super featherweight: Aaron Noriega def. Leonardo Baez via fourth-round TKO | Watch video
Middleweight: Issiah Hamilton-Allen def. Jensen Irving via factors (40-36)
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Darshan Desai
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Darshan Desai
Wardley is going for broke now. He is main with the proper uppercut, trying for a Hail Mary punch. Dubois is affected person, though. He’s not speeding anything. He knows how harmful Wardley is. Wardley just falls short with a proper. Wardley seems to be uncomfortable every time Dubois throws punches. BIG proper hand thrown by Dubois. I can’t see this one going on much longer. Final minute coming up. ANOTHER massive proper lands for Dubois. And again, Dubois lands a energy shot. He’s placing his punches collectively. Wardley is overlaying up. He seems to be damage. He seems to be out of place. Dubois is letting his arms go. In comes the towel, and this one is over!
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Darshan Desai
Here we go! It was the Fight of the Year back in May. Will it be every bit as good in the rematch? Last time, Wardley got off to a sensible begin, knocking down Dubois within seconds. How will this one play out early?
It’s Dubois on the entrance foot. HUGE proper hand. DOWN GOES WARDLEY inside 20 seconds. It’s the complete reverse. Dubois is placing his punches collectively. Wardley is so badly damage. Nice jabs from Dubois. He is still trying for the end. Dubois is hurting Wardley with quite a few rights. This one might not make it out of Round 1. Wardley is off stability as he makes an attempt an overhand proper. Wardley eats a mixture. He eats two more rights. Dubois is placing the energy pictures collectively. Still 40 seconds to go. HUGE proper. Wardley is badly rocked. He’s placing his pictures collectively. An enormous barrage. Wardley is not responding. Dubois virtually got the stoppage there. Wardley just about survived that spherical.
10-8 Dubois
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Darshan Desai
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Darshan Desai
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Darshan Desai
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Darshan Desai
Daniel Dubois is next to stroll.
Interestingly, Wardley was cheered into the ring, and Dubois’ title was booed when he was announced.
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Darshan Desai
We are just a couple of minutes away from the Daniel Dubois vs. Fabio Wardley primary occasion ring walks. Sweet Caroline is just about to play.
Daniel Dubois (left) and Fabio Wardley during the weigh-in at the Old Spitalfields Market, London. Picture date: Friday October 16, 2026. (Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)
(Nick Potts – PA Images via Getty Images)
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Darshan Desai
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Darshan Desai
115-114 Gomez
114-114
114-114
Somehow Michael Gomez Jr. hasn’t won that battle. I can’t believe it, neither can he or the followers.
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Darshan Desai
A near-dominant efficiency from Michael Gomez Jr. through eight or 9 rounds. Louie O’Doherty may have taken a couple of frames late, but it should be a huge determination win for the challenger.
Final rating: 118-110 Gomez
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Darshan Desai
It’s O’Doherty on the entrance foot. He’s got Gomez on the ropes and is placing his pictures collectively but nothing is getting through. They exchange short pictures on the inside, but then O’Doherty eats a mixture. Back to going to work up close. Nice physique work from Gomez and a two-piece knocks back the chin. Now, Gomez places his pictures collectively. Final minute coming up. Gomez and O’Doherty proceed to commerce, but the impactful pictures are those from Gomez.
10-9, 109-100 Gomez
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Darshan Desai
Somehow, O’Doherty is still in there and still throwing punches. And he lands a good proper in the closing minute. Now, a left hook. He gets a couple of jabs off and then seems to be for the physique. But back comes Gomez downstairs. Closer spherical. They went toe-to-toe for the first couple of minutes with no too much to separate them.
10-9 O’Doherty, 99-91 Gomez
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Darshan Desai
An excellent mixture from Gomez in the opening minute of Round 8. He continues to elevate up the chin of O’Doherty with sensible uppercuts. O’Doherty is still in there, still throwing back and still robust, but he is taking a beating. Lovely proper hand in the closing 30 seconds. Uppercut. Body shot. Uppercut.
10-9, 80-72 Gomez
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Darshan Desai
Gomez barrages the physique just before the one-minute mark. The strain has been nonstop from Gomez. And now that O’Doherty wants a KO to win this battle and seems to be nowhere close to getting it, perhaps O’Doherty’s nook should take a look and think about stopping it. O’Doherty has taken a lot of injury and is persevering with to take punishment every spherical.
10-9, 70-63 Gomez
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Darshan Desai
Another good spherical for Gomez. His mixture punching, strain, and inside work have been terrific tonight. O’Doherty has taken fairly a bit of punishment to the head already, so Gomez may have to attain for the physique to discover the stoppage, although O’Doherty is doing properly at overlaying his physique too. It does really feel at the finish of some of these rounds, though, that the strain is getting to O’Doherty.
10-9, 60-54 Gomez
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Darshan Desai
Gomez had O’Doherty in hassle at the finish of Round 4. Could this be the spherical Gomez gets the end? O’Doherty walks Gomez onto a couple of rights, but he shrugs them off and retains coming ahead. A pair of uppercuts from Gomez. Nice uppercut counter from Gomez. O’Doherty is attempting to battle him on the inside now, but that can’t be a good strategy. Gomez continues to join with the proper uppercut. Lovely work from Gomez with the proper.
10-9, 50-45 Gomez
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Darshan Desai
It’s been a terrific efficiency from Michael Gomez Jr. so far. He seems to be much greater and stronger and the strain has been very efficient through 4 rounds. O’Doherty has been damage on at least a couple of events in this battle — both to the head and the physique.
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Darshan Desai
Decent uppercut for O’Doherty. Gomez lands the left to the physique. They exchange pictures on the inside – that will swimsuit Gomez just fantastic. He actually seems to be to be connecting with the tougher punches. Nice physique pictures from Gomez and the uppercut afterward, which lifts up the chin. Lovely proper from Gomez. The strain is actually suffocating O’Doherty now as the punches rain in.
10-9, 30-27 Gomez
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Darshan Desai
O’Doherty’s head is knocked back by a jab. Nice proper from Gomez – and again – and a third. Gomez is just strolling through O’Doherty thus far. Nice one-two from Gomez and he seems to be for the uppercut afterward. Gomez’s strain has been very efficient. Now, to the physique goes Gomez. O’Doherty is doing a barely higher job of slowing Gomez’s strain. But Gomez seems to be to be in control as rights thud onto O’Doherty’s chin.
10-9, 20-18 Gomez
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