Wardley vs Dubois

Wardley V Dubois: Ringwalks, Where to Watch, Undercard & Full Preview

Updated 27 March, 18:00 GMT

 

Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois takes place on Saturday 9 May 2026 at the Co-op Live in Manchester, and it is lining up to be the most explosive all-British heavyweight world title fight in over a decade. Wardley (20-0-1, 19 KOs) makes the first defence of his WBO heavyweight title against former IBF champion Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs) in a 12-round collision Queensberry has dubbed “Don’t Blink.”

 

UK fans can watch live on DAZN PPV, priced at £24.99. The broadcast starts from 6pm BST, with main event ringwalks expected from approximately 10pm BST. You will need a DAZN subscription before purchasing the PPV. Check the latest heavyweight rankings as fight week approaches.

Wardley vs Dubois fight announcement poster – WBO heavyweight title fight, 9 May 2026 at Co-op Live, Manchester, live on DAZN. Wardley (20-0-1, 19 KOs) vs Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs).

UK Fight Time & Details for Wardley vs Dubois

  • Date: Saturday 9 May 2026
  • Venue: Co-op Live, Manchester
  • UK broadcast start: 6:00pm BST
  • Main event ringwalks: 10:00pm BST
  • PPV price: £24.99
  • Belts at stake: WBO World Heavyweight Championship
  • Promotion: Queensberry Promotions

Wardley vs Dubois Undercard

  • Jared Anderson vs Solomon Dacres – Heavyweight
  • Jack Rafferty vs Ekow Essuman – Welterweight
  • Liam Cameron vs Bradley Rea – Light Heavyweight
  • Khaleel Majid vs Gavin Gwynne – Junior Welterweight

 

All undercard fights now confirmed by Queensberry Promotions.

Wardley vs Dubois Odds: Who Is Favourite to Win?

Wardley is the slight favourite with most bookmakers at approximately 4/5, while Dubois is available at around evens (1/1). The draw is at 16/1. However, with 40 combined knockouts from 42 wins between them, the chances of hearing the final bell a slim to none.

 

The tight pricing reflects how evenly matched these two are on paper. Wardley brings the unbeaten record and a chin that has never let him down. Dubois brings the amateur pedigree, world-level experience and the kind of one-punch power that dismantled Anthony Joshua inside five rounds. The bookmakers clearly respect Wardley’s momentum but aren’t dismissing Dubois. This is a coin-flip fight with knockout consequences. A true heavyweight fight, with a punchers chance at winning.

 

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Dark-themed tale of the tape graphic comparing Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois, showing age, record, height, reach, stance and knockout totals ahead of their WBO heavyweight title fight in Manchester.

Wardley vs Dubois Tale of the Tape

StatWardleyDubois
Age3128
Record20-0-1 (19 KOs)22-3-0 (21 KOs)
KO Ratio95%95%
Height6’5″6’5″
Reach78″78″
StanceOrthodoxOrthodox
HometownIpswich, Suffolk

Greenwich, London

Fabio Wardley Recent Form

Wardley didn’t lace up a glove until he was 20 and has registered a knockdown in every one of his 20 professional wins. The Parker stoppage was his defining performance, although outboxed through the middle rounds, he found a finish in the 11th that demonstrated his most dangerous quality: he always carries power late.

Against Huni at Portman Road, he was behind on the scorecards before a tenth-round right hand ended the fight in front of 25,000 fans. The pattern is clear. Wardley survives, adapts, and finishes. His chin has never been compromised, but he remains hittable, and Dubois punches harder than anyone he has faced to date, a real test for his chin.

Daniel Dubois Recent Form

Dubois has contested five world title fights by the age of 28 and holds wins over Joshua, Hrgovic, Miller and Trevor Bryan. Only Usyk has beaten him at world level, and even that first encounter in 2023 carried controversy after a low-blow ruling denied him a potential fifth-round stoppage.

The Joshua destruction at Wembley, four knockdowns with a fifth-round finish, was his career peak. The concerns are familiar, though. He was overwhelmed by Usyk in both encounters, and the Joyce defeat in 2020 raised questions about his response when things go wrong.

The reunion with Don Charles is an attempt to restore the structure that carried him to the WBA title. If Dubois fights behind his jab, he has the tools to outbox Wardley. If he gets dragged into a brawl, history suggests the momentum shifts against him.

The Split Decision’s Prediction

Wardley needs to make this ugly. His best wins have all come when the fight turns into a war and if he can carry his power into the later rounds this should be an easy fight to predict, if this fight goes past the 9th I would back a Wardley KO win.

Dubois is at his most dangerous early: the jab is a weapon, the right hand can end proceedings at any moment, and under Don Charles he has historically fought with more discipline. If Dubois catches him clean in the first 4 to 6 roundd, it could be over for Wardley.

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