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, 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, but recovered to outslug Wardley and stop him late to become a two-time heavyweight champion.
Wardley (20-1-1, 19 KOs) entered that first fight with a 95% knockout rate, a split draw against Frazer Clarke in 2024, and a debut points win over Jakub Wojcik in 2017. After the loss, he posted on social media: "My body failed me, but not my heart. And that I can live with."
This time, the odds have flipped. Dubois was a +100 underdog in their first meeting but is now a -370 favorite per Draft Kings. ESPN's No. 3 heavyweight will need to avoid Wardley's right hand, which put him on the canvas early in the first fight. In that bout, Dubois outlanded Wardley 179-97 in total punches and landed 87 power punches to Wardley's 40.
The numbers also show vulnerability. 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 was stopped in the first fight while on his feet. Dubois has been in eight title fights since June 2022, going 6-2, while Wardley has had three, going 2-1.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing