Daniel Dubois sent out a big statement to the rest of the heavyweight division after his knockout win over Fabio Wardley.

The two British heavyweights met at The O2 Arena on Saturday in one of the most anticipated rematches of the year, following on from their epic first battle back in May.

On that occasion, ‘DDD’ had to recover from two early knockdowns to earn the 11th round TKO win to become WBO heavyweight champion, but it was a much more dominant display from Dubois this time around.

The rematch saw ‘DDD’ drop Wardley inside the opening 20 seconds of the bout, before landing even more heavy shots over the next several minutes, forcing the referee to stop the action in the second round as Dubois retained his WBO heavyweight title.

Ahead of the bout, one man that was picking Wardley to cause the upset and be victorious was former WBC cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew, who felt that the Ipswich man was going to get the job done inside six rounds.

Bellew was happy to hold his hands up and admit he was wrong though, as he posted on social media to heap praise on Dubois for his triumph.

Demolition! Well done to Daniel Dubois.. 👏🔥👏

— Tony Bellew (@TonyBellew) October 17, 2026

“Demolition! Well done to Daniel Dubois.”

Following his win, Dubois has already made it clear who he wants to target next, revealing in his post-fight interview that he wants to meet IBF champion Filip Hrgovic in a unification, in what would be a rematch after ‘DDD’ won their first encounter back in June 2024.

Daniel Dubois has wasted no time making his intentions known after his destructive win over Fabio Wardley in their rematch.

The pair went head-to-head at The O2 Arena in London, five months on from their first meeting when Dubois defeated Wardley by 11th round TKO to win the WBO heavyweight title.

It was a much quicker win this time around, with ‘DDD’ dropping Wardley inside the opening 20 seconds of the contest, before continuing the onslaught and earning the second round knockout victory to retain his WBO belt.

Dubois has already named his next target after his win, revealing in his post-fight press conference that he now wants a unification showdown with IBF champion Filip Hrgovic.

“I want to have a rematch with him and get that belt. I want to rule the division. Another win and another scalp. I’m the champion now and I want some big fights now.”

Dubois and Hrgovic have already met back in June 2024, claiming the eighth round stoppage win after the Croatian couldn’t continue due to cuts above both of his eyes.

‘DDD’ went on to become IBF champion after that fight, but he would go on to lose that title to Oleksandr Usyk. After the Ukrainian vacated his belt earlier this year, Hrgovic claimed it with his dramatic win over Moses Itauma in August.

It means Dubois and Hrgovic could now meet in a rematch in 2027, though Hrgovic may have to deal with mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez first, with that bout potentially taking place in Croatia early next year.

Daniel Dubois blasted Fabio Wardley out inside two rounds to retain his WBO world heavyweight championship, making easy work of the Ipswich man five months on from their eleven-round war.

In their first meeting, Wardley put Dubois down inside ten seconds. Tonight, in London, ‘DDD’ returned the favour, dropping Wardley for the first time in his career not long after the opening bell.

Though Dubois remained composed for the duration of the first round, he still dished out punishment. In the second, the writing was on the wall, with Wardley looking far from the fighter he did back in May.

After more brutal barrages from Dubois, who has an argument as the biggest puncher in world boxing, trainer Ben Davison threw in the towelsaving Wardley from any unnecessary punishment but cementing his second loss to the Londoner.

Post-fight, the fan-favourite former champion took the defeat well.

“It’s never fun to lose, but it is what it is. The game is the game. I’ve always thrown myself in with the best competitors out there, the toughest, biggest, hardest, meanest guys around. There’s no shame in a loss when you’re testing yourself against the best.”

“It just didn’t work for me tonight. I wasn’t clicking in the same way, and that’s only down to me. It’s a credit to Daniel and how well he’s prepared. Boxing is a game of fine margins, it can be over in a round or two, or you can go into a big old war like last time. I didn’t get sparked out, so there’s a little bit of pride to be taken in there.”

Asked if he felt, in hindsight, he took the rematch too soon, Wardley said no, before confirming that he will fight on.

“No, not in the slightest. I didn’t execute the game plan properly tonight, that was all … We’ll go back to the drawing board as a team. Daniel’s a testament to coming up short and coming again, and I’ll be looking to do the exact same thing.”

Wardley’s story is already a fairy tale, and his fans will continue to back him as he continues. However, as pointed out by many former pros already, those around him must consider any next steps carefully.

As for Dubois, he faced off with Filip Hrgovic post-fight. He beat the Croatian back in 2024 in a non-title bout, but now that both men hold major belts, a unification rematch becomes intriguing.