Daniel Dubois made sure there was little room for drama in his second fight with Fabio Wardley.
It took Dubois less than two rounds to score a definitive knockout victory over Wardley on Saturday in London, five months after their epic first encounter that ended with Dubois winning a war of attrition in which Dubois had to battle back from adversity after being knocked down twice. It took Dubois until the 11th round to turn things around and win their first fight, but this time Dubois beat Wardley to the punch and he never recovered.
The rematch was officially stopped at the 2:21 mark of Round 2 after Wardley’s corner threw in the towel.
With the win, Dubois successfully defended the WBO heavyweight title he won from Wardley, and improved his pro record to 24-3 with 23 victories by KO/TKO.
In his post-fight interview, Dubois praised Wardley, calling him “a great warrior,” before adding, “it is my time and my era.”
There’s no question this was Dubois’ night as he pounced on Wardley early, landing a jab and then following with a heavy right hand that took Wardley’s legs out from under him. Referee Steve Gray immediately initiated a 10-count, which Wardley answered, even though he was still visibly dazed. Dubois methodically stalked Wardley for the rest of the round, nearly putting him away with another flurry as Round 1 came to a close.
In Round 2, Dubois showed Wardley plenty of respect before finding another opening to throw big shots. With Wardley cornered and in survival mode, his team conceded to save him from further damage.
Dubois now has several options ahead of him after settling his series with Wardley. Promoter Frank Warren didn’t commit to a name, but post-fight he invited IBF champion Filip Hrgovic to enter the ring for an impromptu faceoff with Dubois.
Hrgovic said Dubois had an “easy night” and suggested he be ready to fight in March. Should that match be made, it would be the second meeting between the two after Dubois defeated Hrgovic for an interim IBF title in 2024, Hrgovic’s only loss to date.