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

Daniel Dubois stopped Fabio Wardley in the 11th round to win the WBO heavyweight championship on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England. Referee Howard Foster halted the contest as Wardley absorbed sustained punishment. Approximately 18,000 fans watched Dubois improve to 23-3 with 22 KOs while Wardley fell to 20-1-1 with 19 KOs.

Dubois was knocked down twice during the bout yet never appeared to panic. After the first knockdown he winked to his corner to signal he was fine. Wardley, who never went down, suffered a heavily damaged nose and shuttered eye but refused to let his knees touch the canvas.

The victory marked Dubois's third world title. The 28-year-old previously held the WBA (Regular) and IBF heavyweight championships. He lost to Oleksandr Usyk by ninth-round stoppage in August 2023 and by fifth-round knockout in July 2025.

Usyk, now 39, is scheduled to fight Rico Verhoeven later in May 2026. Trainer Don Charles praised his fighter's resilience after years of questions about his heart and mentality. "No human being on this planet could ever question this kid - certainly don't do that in front of me," Don Charles said.

"Tonight he erased any doubt of all the negative talk. " Dubois reflected on the grueling affair immediately afterward. "It was a war. We come through the sticky moments. It was a war. Thank you, Fabio, for that.

Thank you," he said. " Promoter Frank Warren lauded both men for their effort in what became an instant classic. "It was amazing. These two guys show such heart - both of them," Frank Warren said. He continued, "Great heart, chins, it was an amazing fight.

It was just absorbing, it had everything. Exciting. 3 million for the fight. He is projected to pay approximately £585,000 in UK income tax at the 45% additional rate on earnings above £125,140.

He also faces approximately £26,000 in National Insurance contributions. His total projected tax and NI deductions total approximately £611,000, leaving him with around £689,000 before sharing earnings with his team. The fight contract includes a rematch clause with Wardley.

The victory positions Dubois as a leading figure in the heavyweight division.