‘Fight of the Year’: Dubois vs Wardley rematch details revealed after bloodbath clash

Daniel Dubois overcame defending champion Fabio Wardley in 11 rounds and rematch details have now been revealed.

Dubois and Wardley faced off this evening in a boxing clash named as the ‘Fight of the Year’ by fellow professional Chris Eubank Jr on X, leaving fans amped for a possible rematch.

Dubois recovered astonishingly from two early knockdowns — the first of which coming within just 10 seconds of the opening round at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester.

The second knockdown came in Round 3, with the defending champion leaving Dubois on one knee after a crushing blow that saw the eventual winner require eight seconds to get up.

Despite the battering he endured, Dubois fought back valiantly, unleashing a violent assault on Wardley through rounds four to six.

In the latter, Dubois almost achieved a stoppage victory after a barrage of punches left the defending champion battered and bloody, but Wardley somehow remained standing.

The fight — which was eventually stopped in the 11th round — saw Wardley absorb a frightening amount of damage, causing persistent referee inspections after his right eye appeared to close up entirely.

Wardley vs Dubois fight of the year 2026

— Chris Eubank Jr (@ChrisEubankJr) May 9, 2026

Dubois vs Wardley rematch details revealed

Promoter Frank Warren described the battle as “the best heavyweight fight I’ve ever put on”, then spilled details regarding a potential rematch between the pair.

“There is a rematch clause in the contract. These guys showed such heart. Great hearts, great chins, it was an amazing fight,” said the 74-year-old, speaking to DAZN.

"Let the dust settle, there are a lot of things happening in the heavyweight division, then we’ll see. Fabio isn’t going away, he’ll be back. He’s a true, brave, gutsy man. I take my hat off to both of them," he continued.

Dubois, who revealed his intentions for his following fights in an exclusive interview with SPORTbible, appears set to face off again against Fabio Wardley, if the ex-champion is to activate the clause.

Another potential opponent is Oleksandr Usyk, who revealed he has three fights left before retirement, with the winner of Dubois-Wardley being one of said bouts.

Speaking to DAZN in March, Usyk said: “Rico is first. Second, it’s who wins Wardley-Dubois. Third fight is my friend, Greedy Belly, Tyson Fury."

The 39-year-old previously beat Dubois on two occasions, first by a ninth-round knockout in 2023, then again by knockout in Round 5 in 2025.

Now a two-time world heavyweight champion, Dubois praised Wardley as a "warrior" after the fight, following a flurry of flush crosses that secured victory for the 28-year-old in Round 11.

“It was a war… Thank you Fabio for that. I know I've got heart, bundles of heart. I'm a warrior in there," said the WBO world heavyweight champion.

Dubois continued: "I want to grow from this fight, improve and go on and reign as champion again. Are you not entertained? What a fight, what a warrior, thank you!"