Daniel Dubois may already have his next fight lined up after having one of the best heavyweight fights of behind schedule against Fabio Wardley.

Dubois stopped Wardley in the 11th round of their clash at Co-Op Live in Manchester win the WBO heavyweight title after a stunning fight that saw “DDD” exit the ring twice before dominating the final rounds of the fight.

Wardley showed great heart and courage to stay on his feet and survive as long as possible, but in the end Dubois won and became a two-time world heavyweight champion, with the action stopped by referee Howard Foster.

Speaking after the fight, promoter Frank Warren announced that there was a rematch clause in the contract, indicating that Dubois and Wardley could fight again next.

“It was amazing. These two guys showed so much heart. Gigantic heart, chins, amazing fight. It was absorbing, it had everything in it. The best heavyweight fight I’ve ever had.

“There is a rematch clause in the contract. Let the dust settle, a lot of things are happening in the heavyweight division, then we will see. Fabio will not leave, he will come back. He is a real, brave and courageous man. I take my hat off to both of them.”

Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has previously stated that he wants to face the winner of that fight, but fans who have already beaten Dubois twice would certainly prefer to see “DDD” rematch Wardley or defend his belt against number one contender Moses Itauma instead.

While he couldn’t be blamed for taking time off and fighting at a lower level – in fact, most would advise that route – Wardley’s determination, combined with his early success, indicated that he would want to regain the title immediately by activating the stipulation. This will, of course, depend on the most vital update fans are waiting for – a full recovery from a brutal eleven rounds.

Moses Itauma could already be in position for a heavyweight title fight against Daniel Dubois after Dubois’ victory over Fabio Wardley on Friday night.

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Last update: 2026/05/09 at 23:29

Derek Chisora ​​was at ringside to witness the incredible fight between Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley.

Dubois recovered from two early knockdowns and stopped Wardley in round 11 epic fight for the WBO heavyweight title at Co-Op Live in Manchester.

The fight was watched by many celebrities from the world of boxing, including Chisora, who was one of the heavyweight contenders until his recent retirement.

Conversation with Seconds OutChisora ​​praised Dubois for his performance.

“Daniel got dropped in the first round and I said, ‘he’s winning this fight.’ Everyone around me was looking at me like, ‘What?’ Guess what he did? He fucking won that fight.

“He bit his rubber shield and continued…Daniel was boxing amazingly. He was hit, but there was no resignation in his eyes.”

Although Chisora ​​was highly complimentary of Dubois, he was less positive about Wardley as “Del Boy” listed the mistakes made.

“Fabio wasn’t ready to box. There was no jab, nothing. I was looking for strenuous punches. It was like he wasn’t training. He was too busy commentating. Little fucker. He was supposed to be training in the gym.

“How many jabs did Fabio make? He didn’t make any jabs, he didn’t do anything that we’ve seen before. He was supposed to make a jab, but he didn’t take a jab.

Following the dramatic victory, it was revealed that Dubois had signed a rematch clause with Wardley. With the Ipswich fighter likely to need a lot of time to rest and recover from the defeat, many are calling for Dubois to defend his belt against Moses Itauma instead.