Speculation had been growing over whether Fabio Wardley would activate his rematch clause against Daniel Dubois following his defeat in their WBO heavyweight title clash. Many fans and boxing figures, including Eddie Hearn, publicly suggested Wardley would likely use the clause and believed he should take another opportunity.
The discussion only intensified because the first fight turned out to be so dramatic. Dubois and Wardley delivered a chaotic heavyweight battle at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena that immediately entered fight-of-the-year conversations. Wardley shocked fans by flooring Dubois within the opening seconds before dropping him again later in the contest, leaving the newly crowned champion in serious trouble early on.
However, Dubois slowly found his rhythm and momentum eventually shifted. The heavyweight champion began taking control behind his jab, settled into the fight, and gradually wore Wardley down. After surviving the early storm, Dubois produced a huge comeback and eventually secured a late stoppage victory in the 11th round after a brutal back-and-forth contest.
Despite the loss, Wardley received widespread praise for his performance. Many praised him, while others questioned whether he should jump straight back into another dangerous fight so soon.
But several figures in boxing, including Hearn, publicly backed the idea and insisted Wardley should use the opportunity available to him.
Now the heavyweight contender has made his decision.
Fabio Wardley confirms Daniel Dubois rematch plans
Recently, Sky Sports revealed that Wardley reflected on the fight and praised the battle while making it clear he believes there were mistakes he can correct.
“The boxing world knows my character, and Saturday night proved that without a shred of doubt,” Wardley said.
“It was a fight for the ages, but I made some mistakes that I will rectify in the rematch.”
Wardley then confirmed he had officially activated the rematch clause before issuing a direct warning to Dubois.
“Congratulations to Daniel,” he added. “But I’m coming for you… and my belt!”
Shortly after Wardley’s comments, promoter Frank Warren and Queensberry officially confirmed the clause had been activated on Instagram, with both sides now expected to work toward staging the rematch later in 2026.
The confirmation reshapes the heavyweight picture moving forward. Before the announcement, Dubois had already been linked with names such as Moses Itauma and several other contenders. Those discussions will now likely be placed on hold.
Instead, Dubois and Wardley appear ready to run back one of heavyweight boxing’s wildest fights, with both men now heading toward another huge collision later this year.
Wardley suffered major facial injuries; however, he did not need to be hospitalised. That means he will be back in training camp soon and will reflect on his defeat and come back with a better game plan to capture the title he lost.
