Daniel Dubois Stops Fabio Wardley in 11th Round to Win WBO Heavyweight Title

Daniel Dubois defeated Fabio Wardley by 11th-round TKO on May 9, 2026 at Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester to capture the WBO heavyweight championship. Dubois, 28, was knocked down twice but never quit, while Wardley, 31, absorbed sustained punishment without hitting the canvas once.

Referee Howard Foster stopped the fight in the 11th round after checking on Wardley’s condition at the start of the previous two rounds.

The stoppage came after doctors inspected Wardley's injuries before the eighth round and again allowed him to continue before the 10th. Dubois entered the ring wearing an Ipswich Town Football Club robe after arriving at the venue one hour later than Wardley due to Manchester traffic. He was greeted by a warm reception from the 18,000-strong crowd inside the arena.

Wardley knocked Dubois down with a flush right hand after 10 seconds of the first round. Dubois took a knee, winked to his corner and survived the count. Wardley knocked him down again in the third round with an overhand right, yet Dubois regrouped and began landing heavy shots that bloodied Wardley's face and swelled one of his eyes shut.

Dubois weighed 18 stone (115kg) for the fight, a career heavy. The combined pre-fight record of both fighters was 42 wins with 40 by knockout. Dubois has now won 22 of his 23 victories by stoppage. After the fight Dubois's record stands at 23-3 with 22 KOs.

Wardley's record is now 20-1-1 with 19 KOs. Dubois is now a two-time world champion, having previously held the IBF title. Promoter Frank Warren confirmed there is a rematch clause in the contract. Warren, a veteran of 45 years in the sport, described the fight as the best heavyweight fight he has ever promoted.

“It was a war, thank you Fabio for that, thank you. I know I've got heart, bundles of heart. I'm a warrior in there. I had to get back up, bounce it off and come back harder. I'm a warrior.”

“[Fabio] is a durable guy, durable warrior, great warrior. Thank you for a great fight, man. It was an honour to be in the ring with you." — Daniel Dubois to DAZN. Wardley, who was working in recruitment a decade before the fight, showed extraordinary resilience. He refused to go down despite trembling legs and blood pouring down his face. The contest joined a rare group of elite heavyweight bouts that lived up to pre-fight expectations. The fight was held on Saturday May 9, 2026 at Co-op Live, Manchester. Dubois reasserted himself at the top of the division after the victory while Wardley lost for the first time in 22 fights.”