Daniel Dubois defends his WBO heavyweight title against Fabio Wardley in a rematch at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday.
Just 5 months have handed since the British heavyweights produced one of the most dramatic fights of the yr in Manchester.
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Londoner Dubois, 29, climbed off the canvas twice before stopping Wardley in the Eleventh spherical to become a two-time world champion.
Ipswich’s Wardley, 31, suffered the first defeat of his skilled profession but rapidly triggered his rematch clause.
Can Dubois repeat the first consequence? Or can Wardley end the job after coming so close in their May assembly?
All you need to know about the battle night time is here.
How to comply with Dubois v Wardley on the BBC – be a part of the watch-along
Live textual content commentary will start at 21:00 BST on Saturday, 17 October on the BBC Sport web site and app.
Radio commentary from London will start at 21:00 on 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds, with protection on BBC Radio 5 Live for the major occasion at 22:00.
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Stacey Copeland will current the dwell protection, joined by lead commentator Ronald McIntosh, with Steve Bunce and former super-middleweight world champion Richie Woodhall offering co-commentary.
Alongside the audio protection, BBC Sport will also carry followers a dwell watch-along on BBC iPlayer plus the BBC Sport web site and app, BBC Sport YouTube & TikTok channels, beginning just before the major occasion begins.
Broadcaster and journalist Nick Peet, British heavyweight champion Richard Riakporhe, and BBC Sounds’ Punch Perfect hosts Emily Smith and Liam Gough will present dwell response, evaluation, debate and dialogue as the battle unfolds.
What time are the ringwalks for Dubois v Wardley?
The official time for the occasion is yet to be confirmed, but Dubois and Wardley are expected to make their ringwalks after 22:30 BST.
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All timings are estimated and subject to change.
Dubois v Wardley undercard & working order
Main card:
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Daniel Dubois v Fabio Wardley – WBO heavyweight title
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Louie O’Doherty v Michael Gomez Jr – British and Commonwealth light-weight title
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Bakhodir Jalolov v Solomon Dacres – heavyweight
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Tony Curtis v Kerim Agius – super-flyweight
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Leighton Birchall v Luis Vara Carrillo – featherweight
Prelims:
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Fawas Aborode v Rashid Omar – light-weight
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Manny Safari v Jake Pollard – featherweight
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Adam Olaniyan v TBA – heavyweight
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Aaron Noriega v TBA – super-featherweight
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Zayn Ahmed v Kasey Bradnum – super-featherweight
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Issiah Hamilton-Allen v Jensen Irving – middleweight
Dubois v Wardley battle week schedule
Wednesday: open exercises at 17:00
Thursday: information convention at 12:30
Friday: weigh-in at 18:00
(all occasions BST)
How do Dubois and Wardley’s data evaluate?
There is very little between Dubois and Wardley bodily, and virtually nothing between them when it comes to punching energy.
Dubois knows he can beat Wardley and Wardley knows he can damage Dubois.
Dubois has 23 wins from 26 fights, with 22 knockouts, while Wardley’s report stands at 20 wins, one defeat and one draw, with 19 knockouts.
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That means 41 of their mixed 43 victories have come inside the distance.
Where Dubois holds the benefit is expertise at the highest degree. He has twice fought Oleksandr Usyk and has also shared the ring with Anthony Joshua, Filip Hrgovic and Joe Joyce.
Wardley’s route has been far less typical. He came through the unlicensed white-collar scene and was working in recruitment at the age of 19. But his rise accelerated with stoppage wins over Justis Huni and former world champion Joseph Parker before his first assembly with Dubois.
What belts are on the line in Dubois v Wardley?
Dubois’ WBO world heavyweight title is at stake over 12 three-minute rounds.
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It will be the first defence of his second reign as a world champion.
Dubois beforehand held the IBF heavyweight title before dropping his rematch with Usyk in July 2025.
Wardley turned WBO champion after being elevated from interim champion but lost the belt to Dubois in his first defence.
The WBO belt is now one of 4 main heavyweight titles, which are held by 4 completely different fighters.
Dubois holds the WBO belt, Agit Kabayel is WBC champion, Filip Hrgovic has the IBF title and Murat Gassiev is recognised by the WBA as its world champion.
What occurred in the first battle?
The first battle at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena had virtually everything – knockdowns, momentum shifts, heavy exchanges and a exceptional comeback.
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Wardley made a sensational begin, twice dropping Dubois, but the battle swung as Dubois recovered and finally pressured an Eleventh-round stoppage.
But it turned more and more uncomfortable to watch. Wardley fought on despite a badly broken nostril and one eye being swollen shut, with medical doctors checking him twice at ringside before permitting the contest to proceed.
By the tenth spherical he was struggling badly and there were calls for the battle to have been stopped earlier.
Former world champion Carl Frampton described Wardley as the “bravest man he’d ever seen”, but said the referee or his nook should have intervened before the tenth, while Darren Barker called for the battle to be stopped to defend Wardley.
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The statistics underline the punishment he absorbed. Dubois landed 179 punches to Wardley’s 97, with 87 energy punches by Dubois in contrast with Wardley’s 40.
But both males emerged with reputations enhanced. Wardley’s willingness to keep preventing demonstrated extraordinary coronary heart, while Dubois answered questions which had adopted him earlier in his profession about his own resilience.
Can the winner battle Joshua or Fury?
The heavyweight panorama could look very completely different by the finish of the yr.
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will finally meet at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in December, more than a decade after a battle between the British rivals was first mentioned.
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Their bout has reportedly been earmarked for a WBA ‘tremendous’ heavyweight title, although that has proved controversial.
Gassiev stays listed by the WBA as its world champion and his group have lodged an objection to the prospect of another WBA heavyweight champion being topped.
But it means the winner of Dubois-Wardley could enter 2027 with several profitable choices.
For Dubois, another victory would settle his rivalry with Wardley at 2-0 and give him a profitable first defence of his second world title reign.
At the age of 29, wins over Joshua, Hrgovic and Wardley twice would go away Dubois with one of the strongest latest data among the division’s main heavyweights.
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Unification fights against Kabayel or Hrgovic would be apparent targets, while the winner of Fury-Joshua could present another large all-British option relying on how the WBA title state of affairs develops.
For Wardley, victory would see him regain the title, avenge the only defeat of his profession and put himself firmly in the dialog for unification fights.
The penalties of defeat are barely completely different, though.
A second successive loss to Dubois would go away Wardley needing to rebuild before another world title alternative.
Should Dubois lose, the rivalry would stand at 1-1 and calls for a third battle would start virtually immediately.
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