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Dubois showed extraordinary powers of recovery to lift himself off the canvas twice - the first time after only 10 seconds - and go on to dominate a bruised and battered Wardley, who absorbed so much heavy punishment but would not go down as he displayed his own incredible fortitude.
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he → show → fortitude
Referee Howard Foster eventually intervened and waved off the fight in the 11th round with Wardley still on his feet but continuing to take massive punches, with Dubois’ stoppage victory beginning his second reign as a world heavyweight champion.
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victory → intervene → champion
He claimed the WBO belt that Wardley had held since being upgraded following Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to relinquish it in November 2025, with the Ipswich favourite having realised his own world title dream after initially winning the interim gold with a late stoppage of Joseph Parker the previous month.
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favourite → claim → Parker
It was an astonishing victory for Dubois as he bounced back from his emphatic second defeat by Usyk in a one-sided undisputed showdown at Wembley last summer, another fearsome demonstration of his power after demolishing Anthony Joshua in five rounds in 2024 and also a firm riposte to those critics who still accused him of quitting in previous losses.
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who → bounce → losses
He is a firm favourite to repeat against Wardley, whom he handed a first-ever loss as a fairytale rise from white-collar boxing to world heavyweight champion was finally halted.
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rise → repeat → champion
Dubois vs Wardley 2 fight date and venue
Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2 for the WBO world heavyweight title takes place tonight on Saturday October 17, 2026.
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Dubois → take → Saturday
While the first fight was held at Co-op Live in Manchester, the rematch is taking place in front of a sell-out crowd at London’s O2 Arena.
Dubois vs Wardley 2 start time and ring walks
Dubois and Wardley are expected to ring walk for tonight’s main event at approximately 10:30pm BST, which is 5:30pm ET and 2:30pm PT in the United States.
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The main undercard gets under way from 7pm BST, 2pm ET and 11am PT, with the earliest bouts from around 4pm BST, 11am ET and 8am PT.
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undercard → hold → BST
How to watch Dubois vs Wardley 2
It is included in the subscription for those who are signed up to the DAZN Ultimate Tier.
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who → watch → Tier
You can follow the whole event with Standard Sport’s live blog on fight night.
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You → follow → night
Dubois vs Wardley 2 undercard
A busy undercard includes Louie O'Doherty defending his British and Commonwealth lightweight titles for the second time against Michael Gomez Jnr, while Solomon Dacres faces a tough test against Bakhodir Jalolov in another heavyweight showdown.
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Dacres → include → showdown
That unforgettable May showdown in Manchester had simply everything you would want from a heavyweight tussle and more, with both fighters showing so much incredible spirit, resilience, power and toughness in abundance.
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fighters → have → abundance
By coolly and calmly bouncing back so emphatically from two knockdowns and being flattened in the first 10 seconds, Dubois proved that he is certainly no quitter and should have ended for good lingering questions over his mentality when things get difficult.
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things → bounce → mentality
Wardley became totally overwhelmed and the fact that he never got knocked down still defies belief, though the fight should surely have been stopped earlier and you question the wiseness of the decision to stage a rematch less than six months later.
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you → become → rematch
We envisage another entertaining blockbuster between these big hitters, though this time expect Dubois to get the job in more ruthless and straightforward fashion - having mostly kept himself upright.
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Dubois → envisage → himself
Dubois to win by stoppage in the mid rounds.
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Dubois → win → rounds
Both fighters tipped the scales on Friday at career-heaviest weights, strongly hinting at another bruising clash that surely won’t go the distance.
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that → tip → distance
Dubois came in at 253.9lbs, while Wardley was again the lighter man at 248.3lbs.
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Wardley → come → 248.3lbs
Dubois vs Wardley 2 odds
Dubois to win: 1/4
Wardley to win: 11/4
Draw: 20/1
Dubois to win on points or by decision: 11/2
Dubois to win by knockout, technical knockout or disqualification: 8/15
Wardley to win on points or by decision: 12/1
Wardley to win by knockout, technical knockout or disqualification: 7/2
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We → win → companies
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you → play → what
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you → have → limits
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offers → list → change
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Terms → apply → offers
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