Dubois knocks out Wardley to claim WBO title

Daniel Dubois recovered from two early knockdowns to stop Fabio Wardley in the 11th round and claim the WBO heavyweight title at Co-op Live Arena on Saturday night.

From the start, things seemed in Wardley’s favour. Just 10 seconds into the opening round, he landed a sweeping right hand that dropped Dubois heavily. 

Wardley chased the finish after the knockdown, forcing Dubois into survival mode through a chaotic first round that nearly ended the contest before it settled.

Wardley struck again in the third round with an overhand right that caught Dubois clean and sent him stumbling before he dropped to a knee. 

At that stage, Wardley’s timing was disrupting Dubois badly, with the champion struggling to establish any rhythm early.

But the fight gradually shifted once Dubois found his jab. He began using it to create space, reset exchanges, and stop Wardley from charging forward unchecked. 

Rather than loading up on single shots, Dubois started building combinations and working the body, forcing Wardley backward more often as the rounds developed.

Things got quite heated in the middle rounds as the duo exchanged jabs. 

Wardley still found moments with counters and uppercuts, but Dubois was more consistent with his shots, exerting great force with each blow. 

Damage started building around Wardley’s face, with swelling and cuts becoming more visible as the pace wore on.

By the later rounds, Dubois was calling the shots. His output stayed high while Wardley’s movement slowed, leaving him spending longer stretches near the ropes absorbing punches instead of creating openings. 

Even then, Wardley kept replying, refusing to give ground despite the punishment.

The end came quickly in round 11 when Dubois landed a heavy left hook that snapped Wardley’s head back before swarming him along the ropes with a series of clean shots. 

Wardley remained upright but was no longer defending effectively, forcing referee Howard Foster to stop the fight at 28 seconds of the round.

The win lifts Dubois to 23-3 with 22 knockouts and gives him a second world title reign after previously holding the IBF belt.

It also answers questions that followed him after the loss to Oleksandr Usyk and the criticism surrounding his preparation heading into that rematch. 

The defeat ends Wardley’s unbeaten run that stretched across 21 fights and halts a rise that took him from white-collar boxing into the heavyweight title picture.