WBO World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Dubois will defend his title against former champion Fabio Wardley on Saturday, October 17, at The O2 Arena in London.
The highly anticipated rematch comes five months after their first encounter in Manchester on May 9, where Dubois recovered from two early knockdowns to stop Wardley in the 11th round and claim victory in a thrilling contest.
Dubois enters the bout with a record of 23 wins and three losses, including 22 knockouts, while Wardley boasts 20 wins, one loss and one draw, with 19 knockouts. The 29-year-old Dubois will look to build on his comeback victory, having demonstrated resilience after being dropped in the first and third rounds of their initial meeting before rallying to secure an 11th-round technical knockout.
Wardley, meanwhile, is determined to reclaim the title and believes tactical adjustments will give him a better chance of defeating the reigning champion.
Both fighters exchanged blunt warnings at the final press conference ahead of Saturday’s showdown, with Dubois expressing confidence that he has figured out his opponent.
“I’ve definitely got his number after the first fight. I’ve felt his power and he’s got none. He punches like a baby, I didn’t feel anything. I’m going to beat him up easy. I’m going to break him up. I’m feeling stronger than in the first fight. I’m grounded and ready to do my job… I’m ready to go to war,” Dubois declared.
Wardley admitted he had been overly confident in his power during their first meeting but insisted he had made the necessary changes ahead of the rematch.
“I was over-zealous and confident in my power in the first fight… It’s an easy adjustment. We’ve made changes and adjustments for this fight and we’ll implement them on Saturday night. Surprisingly, I feel great… I’m back to being expected to lose and I’m the challenger and I’m the chaser and honestly for me it all just feels like, ‘Ah this is it.’ It feels great,” Wardley said.
Dubois has also acknowledged that he could have pressed his advantage sooner in their first encounter, admitting he wished he had “jumped on him sooner”.
Wardley will now attempt to turn those lessons into a successful title challenge, while Dubois aims to deliver a more clinical performance and retain his championship in front of the London crowd.
Story by: Christian Opoku McRich
