Preview: Daniel Dubois vs. Fabio Wardley: Prediction, preview, undercard

Just over five months on from their epic first fight, Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley go to war for the WBO heavyweight world title in London on Saturday night.

Wardley went into the first bout holding the belt, but Dubois overcame two knockdowns to become world heavyweight champion for the second time, third if you count the WBA regular crown.

Here, Sports Mole previews the rematch between the two British heavyweights, who will want to keep themselves at the top of the tree ahead of potentially facing the winner of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua's fight in December.

Daniel Dubois vs. Fabio Wardley

When the first bout took place in Manchester in May, the general consensus was that it was a 50-50 fight that would end early.

Wardley had Dubois down in the first 10 seconds, and twice within the first three rounds, but Dubois showed the kind of resilience that he has not always shown in his career.

Once the second half of the fight came around, Wardley was only getting weaker and Dubois far stronger. He had not broken his opponent's spirit, but the level of exhaustion being shown by Wardley meant that the end result was inevitable from thereon in.

Although Wardley left the ring with his reputation enhanced from both a boxing and popularity perspective, it felt like he suffered career-changing punishment from the biggest puncher in the division.

Whether that proves true remains to be seen, but only the minority will feel that taking an immediate Dubois rematch within 22 weeks of the first instalment is the right move.

Last time out, we also got to see Dubois enter the 11th round for the first time. He is currently on a streak of Oleksandr Usyk 1, Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, Anthony Joshua, Usyk 2 and Wardley. It is a stunning CV.

Meanwhile, Wardley's win before Dubois was his incredible comeback effort against Joseph Parker, and you have to question whether that, too, has put miles on the Ipswich fighter's clock.

Undercard

The showcase fight on the undercard is the British and Commonwealth lightweight title fight between Louie O'Doherty and Michael Gomez Jr.

O'Doherty is putting a 12-match unbeaten record on the line against an opponent who recorded an eye-catching win over Lee McGregor last time out.

Meanwhile, British heavyweight Solomon Dacres is bidding to pull off his second upset win of 2026 against the formidable Bakhodir Jalolov, the two-time Olympic gold medallist.

Last time out, the West Midlands fighter stunned Vladyslav Sirenko, the then-unbeaten Ukrainian who has since responded by beating former Fury and Joshua opponent Otto Wallin.

Dubois vs. Wardley prediction

Many have questioned whether Wardley should be taking this fight so soon after the battering that he took in the second half of the first fight.

GOOSEBUMPS ? Face offs don't get more INTENSE than this ? #DuboisWardley2 | Saturday | The O2, London | DAZN https://t.co/ZJeTDmQ0Pt
— Queensberry Promotions (@Queensberry) October 14, 2026

We agree with that perspective, and although Wardley punches hard enough to have a chance against any opponent, Dubois knows that he can withstand his best shots.

Furthermore, Dubois will believe that Wardley will not have the same punch resistance as the first encounter, a view shared by us.

While it could be interesting while it lasts, expect Dubois to win inside the first six rounds, maybe as early as the first three.