Dubois stops Wardley in 11th round to claim WBO heavyweight title
Theo Al Jazeera English
Daniel Dubois twice got off the canvas to stop Fabio Wardley in the 11th round, winning the WBO heavyweight title in a brutal war at Manchester's Co-Op Live Arena. Dubois bounced back from early knockdowns in rounds one and three to overwhelm the champion with sustained pressure. Promoter Frank Warren hailed it as the best heavyweight fight he had ever staged.
In Manchester, England, on the evening of May 9, Daniel Dubois mounted a spectacular comeback, stopping Fabio Wardley early in the 11th round to claim the WBO heavyweight title. It marked the second time in his career Dubois became a world champion, having previously held the IBF belt in 2024.
Referee Howard Foster intervened and halted the bout at the Co-Op Live Arena as Wardley suffered a severe nosebleed and his right eye was nearly swollen shut. Wardley, 31, was making his first title defense after being elevated to full WBO champion in November 2025 when Usyk vacated the belt.
Dubois, 28, was knocked down within the opening seconds of the first round by a right hook from Wardley. He was floored again in the third round but rose and fought back fiercely. By the sixth round, Dubois was landing repeatedly on Wardley, causing heavy bleeding and forcing him against the ropes.
Despite being examined by the ringside doctor and the referee in rounds eight, nine, and ten, Wardley fought on instinct. Dubois finally ended the contest with a sustained flurry in the 11th.
“That was a war. We went through tough moments. Thank you, Fabio, for this,” Dubois said after the fight. He now holds a record of 23 wins in 26 professional bouts, while Wardley fell to 20-1-1.
Frank Warren, the veteran promoter who manages both fighters, called it the best heavyweight fight he had ever promoted. He confirmed a rematch clause was in the contract. “Two men left everything—their hearts and souls—in the ring; nothing was left outside,” Warren told the BBC.
