Dubois showed extraordinary powers of recovery to lift himself off the canvas twice - the first time after only 10 seconds - and go on to dominate a bruised and battered Wardley, who absorbed so much heavy punishment but would not go down as he displayed his own incredible fortitude.
Referee Howard Foster eventually intervened and waved off the fight in the 11th round with Wardley still on his feet but continuing to take massive punches, with Dubois’ stoppage victory beginning his second reign as a world heavyweight champion.
He claimed the WBO belt that Wardley had held since being upgraded following Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to relinquish it in November 2025, with the Ipswich favourite having realised his own world title dream after initially winning the interim gold with a late stoppage of Joseph Parker the previous month.
He is a firm favourite to repeat against Wardley, whom he handed a first-ever loss as a fairytale rise from white-collar boxing to world heavyweight champion was finally halted.
Revenge or repeat? Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley contest their rematch in London
Getty
Dubois vs Wardley 2 fight date and venue
Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2 for the WBO world heavyweight title takes place tonight on Saturday October 17, 2026.
While the first fight was held at Co-op Live in Manchester, the rematch is taking place in front of a sell-out crowd at London’s O2 Arena.
Dubois vs Wardley 2 start time and ring walks
Dubois and Wardley are expected to ring walk for tonight’s main event at approximately 10:30pm BST, which is 5:30pm ET and 2:30pm PT in the United States.
The main undercard gets under way from 7pm BST, 2pm ET and 11am PT, with the earliest bouts from around 4pm BST, 11am ET and 8am PT. As ever, exact timings are subject to change.
How to watch Dubois vs Wardley 2
TV channel and live stream: Dubois vs Wardley 2 is being shown exclusively live on DAZN pay-per-view at a one-off cost of £24.99.
It is included in the subscription for those who are signed up to the DAZN Ultimate Tier.
Live blog: You can follow the whole event with Standard Sport’s live blog on fight night.
Dubois vs Wardley 2 undercard
A busy undercard includes Louie O'Doherty defending his British and Commonwealth lightweight titles for the second time against Michael Gomez Jnr, while Solomon Dacres faces a tough test against Bakhodir Jalolov in another heavyweight showdown.
Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2
Louie O'Doherty vs Michael Gomez Jnr
Bakhodir Jalolov vs Solomon Dacres
Tony Curtis vs Kerim Agius
Leighton Birchall vs Alejandro Morales Chazaro
Nelson Birchall vs Levi Giles
Brutal: The first fight in May was a bloody war as Daniel Dubois prevailed in the 11th round
Getty
Fawas Aborode vs Rashid Omar
Manny Safari vs Jake Pollard
Adam Olaniyan vs Dan Garber
Aaron Noriega vs Leonardo Baez
Zayn Ahmed vs Kasey Bradnum
Issiah Hamilton-Allen vs Jensen Irving
Dubois vs Wardley 2 prediction
If this fight is even half - no, quarter - as entertaining as the first, then we are in for a real, real treat.
That unforgettable May showdown in Manchester had simply everything you would want from a heavyweight tussle and more, with both fighters showing so much incredible spirit, resilience, power and toughness in abundance.
By coolly and calmly bouncing back so emphatically from two knockdowns and being flattened in the first 10 seconds, Dubois proved that he is certainly no quitter and should have ended for good lingering questions over his mentality when things get difficult.
Wardley became totally overwhelmed and the fact that he never got knocked down still defies belief, though the fight should surely have been stopped earlier and you question the wiseness of the decision to stage a rematch less than six months later.
We envisage another entertaining blockbuster between these big hitters, though this time expect Dubois to get the job in more ruthless and straightforward fashion - having mostly kept himself upright.
Dubois to win by stoppage in the mid rounds.
Knockout power: Daniel Dubois recorded another career-heaviest weight on the scales
PA
Dubois vs Wardley 2 weights
Both fighters tipped the scales on Friday at career-heaviest weights, strongly hinting at another bruising clash that surely won’t go the distance. Dubois came in at 253.9lbs, while Wardley was again the lighter man at 248.3lbs.
Dubois had been at his previous heaviest of 251.7lbs for the first fight, while Wardley was 242.2lbs.
Dubois vs Wardley 2 odds
Dubois to win: 1/4
Wardley to win: 11/4
Draw: 20/1
Dubois to win on points or by decision: 11/2
Dubois to win by knockout, technical knockout or disqualification: 8/15
Wardley to win on points or by decision: 12/1
Wardley to win by knockout, technical knockout or disqualification: 7/2
We aim to offer every online gambler and reader of The Standard a safe and fair platform through unbiased reviews and offers from the UK's best online gambling companies.
Gambling can be addictive, always play responsibly and only bet what you can afford to lose. Gambling sites have a number of tools to assist you to stay in control, including deposit limits and time outs. If you think you have a problem, advice and support is available for you now from BeGambleAware or Gamcare.
Any offers or odds listed in this article are correct at the time of publication but are subject to change. Terms & Conditions apply to all offers.
