Dubois stops Wardley in second round to retain WBO heavyweight title

Daniel Dubois retained his WBO heavyweight title with a devastating second-round stoppage of Fabio Wardley at London's O2 Arena on October 17, 2026. The champion overwhelmed Wardley from the opening bell, landing a powerful right cross that sent the challenger to one knee early in the first round before continuing a relentless assault.

Wardley's trainer Ben Davison threw in the towel during the second round, prompting the referee to halt the contest as Dubois pinned his opponent against the ropes and unloaded heavy punches. Dubois said afterward: "I had bad intentions from the beginning. Our back was against the wall first time. We just had to go out there and show we meant business tonight."

The result settled the British rivalry just five months after their first fight in Manchester, where Dubois recovered from two early knockdowns to win a brutal 11-round decision. Wardley exercised the rematch clause in his contract hoping to regain the belt, but Dubois ended the bout in under four minutes.