Fabio Wardley lost his WBO world title to Daniel Dubois in Manchester this weekend in an instant heavyweight classic.

Wardley showed incredible heart in the first loss of his careerinflicting severe punishment on Dubois’ hefty hands before being stopped by the referee in the penultimate round.

The Ipswich fighter, who had previously scored two knockdowns, was overwhelmed by the precision and power of Dubois, who after touching the canvas composed himself and began to play with a more disciplined and deadly approach.

In his first words since the fight, Wardley acknowledged the importance of the spectacle he and his compatriot put on and thanked his faithful fans.

“My body failed me, but not my heart. And I can live with that… Congratulations Daniel Dubois, thank you for a great fight worthy of the history books. Thank you to the city of Manchester and everyone who accompanied me on this journey.”

My body failed me, but not my heart. And you can live with that…

Congratulations @DynamiteDubois Thank you for a great fight worthy of history books.

Thank you to the city of Manchester and everyone who has accompanied me on this journey. #TeamWardley ❤️ pic.twitter.com/GRGDTeZZ2c

— Fabio Wardley (@FabioWardley) May 10, 2026

While he did not provide any updates on his recovery, sources close to the former heavyweight champion confirmed that he was back home with his family after receiving stitches in the arena and visiting the hospital.

A rematch clause has been confirmed, giving Wardley an immediate rematch if he wants it. However, boxing fans would prefer to see him fully recover before making any fight plans.

If the second fight doesn’t happen or might happen, there are a number of intriguing options open to Dubois, including Moses Itauma, who WBO president Gustavo Olivieri says will likely soon be considered the mandatory challenger.

Mike Perez remains one of boxing’s biggest mysteries. Eight years undefeated, fifty pounds lighter and still going nowhere.

At age 40, Perez should be slowing down physically. Most fighters his age are desperate to maintain weight and squeeze in one last paycheck before retirement.

Perez does the opposite.

Mike Perez is constantly losing weight

The former heavyweight and Prizefighter winner stepped into the ring again on Saturday night in Manchester looking leaner than ever before, weighing in at just under 195 pounds.

Perez moved to 31-3-1 with an eight-round points victory over previously undefeated Franklin Arinze on the Daniel Dubois vs. Fabio Wardley card at the Co-op Live Arena.

This means the Cuban is now just 20 pounds shy of the airy heavyweight limit, despite competing above 240 pounds during his heavyweight career.

This is one of the strangest physical transformations in up-to-date boxing. But the bigger mystery is where it all leads.

Perez hasn’t lost a fight since winning the world title against the division’s number one 200-pounder Mairis Briedis in 2017. He completely rebuilt his body, stayed energetic, won regional belts and even established himself on the bridgeweight scene.

Yet somehow he still seems trapped in boxing limbo.

Saturday’s performance came at around 6pm on the UK undercard against another relatively unknown opponent. Without much pressure. No solemn title talks. There’s no indication that anyone in boxing knows what to do with him yet.

This is what makes Perez such a fascinating case.

The fight with Magomed Abdusalamov changed everything

Talent has never been an issue. Mike Perez is an extremely talented boxer who can punch. So what’s the problem?

Anyone who saw him shoot through Prizefighter in 2011 or trade bombs with Magomed Abdusalamov at Madison Square Garden knows that Perez once looked destined for the very top of the heavyweight division.

But the fight with Abdusalamov changed everything.

Mago suffered life-changing injuries as a result of the brutal war in Novel York, and although Perez escaped unscathed, he never physically regained his former career.

Whether it was mental, emotional, or just the natural aftermath of a terrible night in the ring, something undeniably changed in Perez from that moment on.

Now, at 40, he occupies one of the strangest positions in boxing.

Too aged to be considered a solemn long-term investment. Too talented to be completely ignored. Too experienced for potential clients to take unnecessary risks. But still good enough that people wonder what would happen if someone finally gave him a real chance.

Whether his obvious ability will ever be rewarded, or whether the reward comes too overdue, is impossible to ignore whenever his name comes up.

The Mago fight will always hang over Perez’s career, regardless of what “Rebel” does from here.

But if he somehow manages to win a world title before he leaves, perhaps that shadow would finally fade a little.

About the Author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

After his last victory, David Benavidez was linked to many huge names, and his father and trainer rejected the risk of his son losing to one of the sought-after challengers, believing that the fight would not go to the third round.

“The Mexican Monster” became the unified WBO and WBA cruiserweight champion dominating and stopping Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez on Saturday, in one of the shows of the year so far.

Since then, Benavidez has been offered multiple options for the future, including a mammoth fight with Dmitry Bivol, a move to heavyweight and a potential split with Jai Opetaia – considered Benavidez’s biggest threat at cruiserweight.

Although talking to Boxing in Mill CityJose Benavidez senior has revealed he is unimpressed with the skills of the Australian, who was stripped of his IBF cruiserweight world title earlier this year when he signed with Zuffa Boxing.

“Don’t get me wrong, Jai Opetaia is a good fighter, but he doesn’t have a chin. In all his fights, he gets hurt. I don’t think he has a good jab, I don’t think he has good defense, I don’t think he has a good body shot, I don’t think he has a good upper body shot; he’s just a good fighter.

“He’s a disciplined player, I see the discipline, I just don’t see the talent.”

Benavidez Sr. then offered his predictions for the eventual competition, believing his son would defeat Opetaia “in one or two rounds.”

“Everyone thought Zurdo’s weight and power would be a huge difference. Opetaia… I think David will stop him in one or two rounds.”

Time will tell if the move to Zuffa will prevent Opetaia from fighting challengers who are not affiliated with Dana White’s promotional team, as fan pressure and demand for this fight continues to grow.