Daniel Dubois Ready to Shut Down Fabio Wardley's Rematch Claim

WBO heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois dismissed claims by challenger Fabio Wardley ahead of their rematch.

Dubois doesn't seem to have the knack for the quotable soundbite, but that doesn't dampen his confidence about his October 17 rematch with Fabio Wardley. Back on May 6, the pair of British fighters battled a prolonged war of attrition. Dubois ended the fight in the 11th round, claiming another world title. Wardley immediately triggered the rematch clause, looking to wrest the title away by force.

Wardley truly believes the fight is his to lose, exuding supreme confidence that will lead him to a belt. The champion, in contrast, cited his amateur history and experience on big-fight platforms. Wardley believes that winning back the title is a matter of if, not when. Dubois appears to handle media opportunities with the enthusiasm of an impending root canal. Yet, he appears to stand by his resolute confidence.

Dubois ready for Wardley rematch

Despite Wardley's bold proclamations about the upcoming fight, Dubois took an introspective approach.

“Right now I'm in the process of getting ready for fight night. I’m sometimes anxious and tense for a fight, and sometimes I'm chill, but it's just about finding a balance."

“I don't think [the nerves] were there before the AJ fight. I think after the last fight with Usyk and the year I think I had out the ring, it was just ring rust and nerves, and other stuff like that, but now I just feel it's up to me to put on a show. Good fighters need to stay active and this is it the start of the next chapter of my career.”

Dubois' last loss came at the hands of generational talent Oleksandr Usyk. By nature, he is a banger, someone who wants to throw heavy punches with the malicious intent to end the fight. Yet, if you look at his resume, one stat jumps out.

Dubois' record is 23-3, with 22 knockouts. All three of his defeats were by way of knockout. He is willing to absorb significant punches, which sometimes exposes flaws in his defense, allowing an opponent's strike to land cleanly.

Wardley feels like he can make the necessary adjustment. More importantly, he set three rounds as the limit for how long he thinks this fight will last. Winning a world championship in less than nine ring minutes is quite the bold claim. Yet, Dubois doesn't understand the root of his opponent's confidence.

“I can't say where he gets his confidence from," Dubois said. "But we'll flip the script on him and he will end up going out before he knows it."

Don Charles flipped a switch in Daniel Dubois 😤#WardleyDubois on DAZN 📺 pic.twitter.com/NydOmCJ9EC
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) May 10, 2026

To defeat Dubois, Wardley will need to trade with the champion. The likelihood that this fight will end before reaching the final bell is quite high. Consequently, the judges are unlikely to play a role in the outcome. For both fighters, October 17 can't arrive soon enough.

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