Daniel Dubois defends his WBO heavyweight title against Fabio Wardley on Saturday at the O2 Arena in London (DAZN, 2 p.m. ET). The fight is a rematch of Dubois' thrilling 11th-round TKO win in May, which is a contender for fight of the year. Dubois (23-3, 22 KOs) was knocked down twice in their first fight, once in the opening round and again in the third. He recovered to outslug Wardley before stopping him late in the fight to become a two-time heavyweight champion.
Wardley (20-1-1, 19 KOs) entered that first fight with 19 victories by stoppage, a split draw against Frazer Clarke in 2024, and a points decision win in his first professional bout against Jakub Wojcik in 2017. His 95% knockout rate is a testament to his power. "My body failed me, but not my heart," Wardley posted on social media after the fight. "And that I can live with."
Unlike in their first encounter, for which Dubois was a +100 underdog per Draft Kings, he is a strong favorite to retain his belt in the rematch at -370. Dubois, No. 3 in ESPN's heavyweight rankings, will need to avoid Wardley's right hand, which put him on the canvas early in their first fight.
The numbers show Dubois outlanded Wardley in their first fight, 179 total punches to 97, and landed 45.8% of his total punches to Wardley's 27.1%. Dubois has suffered six knockdowns in his career and three losses, all by stoppage. Wardley has never been knocked down as a professional, though he lost by TKO despite being on his feet when the referee stopped the fight.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing