Fabio Wardley will make the first defense of his WBO heavyweight title against Daniel Dubois in an all-British clash on Saturday, May 9, at the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester.
Wardley, 31, was elevated to champion in November after Oleksandr Usyk relinquished the belt rather than make a mandatory defense against the Ipswich fighter. Now 20-0-1 with 19 knockouts, Wardley has quickly positioned himself among the division’s most dangerous punchers.
“I've never been in this game to play around. I'm committed to big fights only,” Wardley said. *“I'm the champion, this is a voluntary defence, and I chose this. One thing you can't ever say about me is I've shied away from a challenge. I've always gone looking for the biggest tests, and I'd back myself against anyone in this division. This is one of the biggest fights that can be made in the heavyweight division right now and the best part is, it doesn't need the extra stuff, this fight sells itself.”
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Dubois, 28, is a former IBF titleholder who stopped Anthony Joshua in September 2024 before losing the belt to Usyk at Wembley in July 2025 - his second defeat to the Ukrainian. The May bout will mark Dubois’ sixth world title fight as he attempts to become a two-time world champion.
Promoter Frank Warren described the contest as “another piece of British heavyweight history being made,” adding: “This is quite simply the most exciting and explosive fight available for Fabio's first defence of his WBO world title, and it tells you everything about him that this is the fight he demanded. For Daniel to be attempting to become a two-time world champion at just 28 is equally remarkable. This will be his sixth world title fight, and across that run only Oleksandr Usyk has been able to defeat him.”
Fight card:
▪️Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois, 12 rounds, for the WBO World heavyweight title
