Daniel Dubois recovered from two knockdowns to win a second World Heavyweight title with a stoppage of Fabio Wardley.By ReutersPublished On 10 May 202610 May 2026Daniel Dubois came back from two knockdowns to deal Fabio Wardley a brutal and bloody first defeat as a professional and take the World Boxing Organization’s (WBO) World Heavyweight title in a thunderous all-British clash in Manchester, United Kingdom.Referee Howard Foster finally stepped in at the start of the 11th round to signal the end of the fight at the Co-Op Live Arena on Saturday. Wardley was bleeding heavily from the bridge of the nose, with his right eye almost closed.Dubois rose twice from the canvas, including being dropped by a right hook in the first 10 seconds of the fight, to pulverise Wardley and become a World Heavyweight champion for the second time in his career.“It was a war. We came through the sticky moments. Thank you, Fabio, for that,” said Dubois, who was previously International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion after the belt was vacated by Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, with the Ukrainian winning it back in July 2025.“What a great fight. What a great battle, man.” Wardley was left with a bloody nose by Dubois [Andrew Couldridge/Action Images via Reuters]The win was Dubois’s 23rd as a professional in 26 fights, while Wardley now has a 20-1-1 record.Veteran promoter Frank Warren, who manages both men, said it was the best heavyweight fight he had ever put on and confirmed there was a rematch clause in the contract.For some viewers, however, it was also an uncomfortable watch that could have be …
