Daniel Dubois defends his WBO heavyweight title against Fabio Wardley in a rematch at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday.
Just five months have passed since the British heavyweights produced one of the most dramatic fights of the year in Manchester.
Londoner Dubois, 29, climbed off the canvas twice before stopping Wardley in the 11th round to become a two-time world champion.
Ipswich’s Wardley, 31, suffered the first defeat of his professional career but quickly triggered his rematch clause.
Can Dubois repeat the first result? Or can Wardley finish the job after coming so close in their May meeting?
All you need to know about the fight night is here.
How to follow Dubois v Wardley on the BBC – join the watch-along
Live text commentary will begin at 21:00 BST on Saturday, 17 October on the BBC Sport website and app.
Radio commentary from London will begin at 21:00 on 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds, with coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live for the main event at 22:00.
Stacey Copeland will present the live coverage, joined by lead commentator Ronald McIntosh, with Steve Bunce and former super-middleweight world champion Richie Woodhall providing co-commentary.
Alongside the audio coverage, BBC Sport will also bring fans a live watch-along on BBC iPlayer plus the BBC Sport website and app, BBC Sport YouTube & TikTok channels, starting just before the main event begins.
Broadcaster and journalist Nick Peet, British heavyweight champion Richard Riakporhe, and BBC Sounds’ Punch Perfect hosts Emily Smith and Liam Gough will provide live reaction, analysis, debate and discussion as the fight unfolds.
What time are the ringwalks for Dubois v Wardley?
The official time for the event is yet to be confirmed, but Dubois and Wardley are expected to make their ringwalks after 22:30 BST.
All timings are estimated and subject to change.
Dubois v Wardley undercard & running 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 lightweight 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 – lightweight
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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 fight week schedule
Wednesday: open workouts at 17:00
Thursday: news conference at 12:30
Friday: weigh-in at 18:00
(all times BST)
How do Dubois and Wardley’s records compare?
There is very little between Dubois and Wardley physically, and almost nothing between them when it comes to punching power.
Dubois knows he can beat Wardley and Wardley knows he can hurt Dubois.
Dubois has 23 wins from 26 fights, with 22 knockouts, while Wardley’s record stands at 20 wins, one defeat and one draw, with 19 knockouts.
That means 41 of their combined 43 victories have come inside the distance.
Where Dubois holds the advantage is experience at the highest level. 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 conventional. 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 meeting 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.
It will be the first defence of his second reign as a world champion.
Dubois previously held the IBF heavyweight title before losing his rematch with Usyk in July 2025.
Wardley became 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 four major heavyweight titles, which are held by four 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 happened in the first fight?
The first fight at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena had almost everything – knockdowns, momentum shifts, heavy exchanges and a remarkable comeback.
Wardley made a sensational start, twice dropping Dubois, but the fight swung as Dubois recovered and eventually forced an 11th-round stoppage.
But it became increasingly uncomfortable to watch. Wardley fought on despite a badly damaged nose and one eye being swollen shut, with doctors checking him twice at ringside before allowing the contest to continue.
By the 10th round he was struggling badly and there were calls for the fight 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 corner should have intervened before the 10th, while Darren Barker called for the fight to be stopped to protect Wardley.
The statistics underline the punishment he absorbed. Dubois landed 179 punches to Wardley’s 97, with 87 power punches by Dubois compared with Wardley’s 40.
But both men emerged with reputations enhanced. Wardley’s willingness to keep fighting demonstrated extraordinary heart, while Dubois answered questions which had followed him earlier in his career about his own resilience.
Can the winner fight Joshua or Fury?
The heavyweight landscape could look very different by the end of the year.
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will finally meet at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in December, more than a decade after a fight between the British rivals was first discussed.
Their bout has reportedly been earmarked for a WBA ‘super’ heavyweight title, although that has proved controversial.
Gassiev remains listed by the WBA as its world champion and his team have lodged an objection to the prospect of another WBA heavyweight champion being crowned.
But it means the winner of Dubois-Wardley could enter 2027 with several lucrative options.
For Dubois, another victory would settle his rivalry with Wardley at 2-0 and give him a successful first defence of his second world title reign.
At the age of 29, wins over Joshua, Hrgovic and Wardley twice would leave Dubois with one of the strongest recent records among the division’s leading heavyweights.
Unification fights against Kabayel or Hrgovic would be obvious targets, while the winner of Fury-Joshua could provide another huge all-British option depending on how the WBA title situation develops.
For Wardley, victory would see him regain the title, avenge the only defeat of his career and put himself firmly in the conversation for unification fights.
The consequences of defeat are slightly different, though.
A second successive loss to Dubois would leave Wardley needing to rebuild before another world title opportunity.
Should Dubois lose, the rivalry would stand at 1-1 and calls for a third fight would begin almost immediately.