Dubois survives two knockdowns, stops Wardley in 11th to win WBO title

Daniel Dubois turned a brutal start into a career-redefining finish, surviving two knockdowns before stopping Fabio Wardley in the 11th round to win the WBO heavyweight title at Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England. The referee, Howard Foster, stepped in at the start of the 11th after Wardley, bloodied and running out of answers, had absorbed a punishing late surge from Dubois.

The fight looked dangerous for Dubois almost immediately. He was dropped in the opening seconds and again in the third round, moments that revived the questions that have followed him throughout his rise about how he would respond under fire at the highest level. Instead of unraveling, Dubois rebuilt the fight behind pressure, force and belief, gradually taking control of a bout that had been billed as an all-action heavyweight clash and largely delivered on that promise.

The stoppage gave Dubois a second world title reign and restored him to the center of the heavyweight picture. A former IBF champion, he entered the night needing not just a win but a statement, and he got one in the most direct way possible. His record moved to 23-3 with 22 knockouts, while Wardley suffered the first defeat of his professional career and fell to 20-1-1 with 19 knockouts.

The result also reshaped the title landscape. Wardley had been elevated to full WBO champion in November 2025 after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt, following Usyk’s return to undisputed heavyweight champion status earlier in 2025. That left Wardley with only one defense of the title before Dubois ripped it away, turning a newly opened championship path into a brief stay at the top.

Beyond the belts, the win changed Dubois’ standing in the division. He answered the most persistent doubts about his durability by getting off the canvas twice and still ending the fight on his terms. In a matchup between two heavy hitters with high knockout rates, Dubois did more than survive a fight-of-the-year contender. He used the adversity to reclaim championship status and reinsert himself into the next round of heavyweight title contention.