The 29-year-old champion overwhelmed his British rival at the O2 Arena, ending the contest at 2 minutes 21 seconds of the second round after Wardley’s trainer, Ben Davison, threw in the towel.
The decisive victory came just five months after their first meeting, when Dubois recovered from two early knockdowns to stop Wardley in the 11th round of a bruising encounter.
Dubois drops Wardley inside 20 seconds
Dubois made his intentions clear from the opening bell, immediately putting Wardley under pressure with his power and accuracy.
Just 17 seconds into the first round, the champion landed a powerful right hand that sent Wardley to the canvas. Wardley beat the referee’s count and attempted to regain his composure, but Dubois continued to dictate the exchanges.
The champion repeatedly connected with heavy punches, forcing Wardley backwards and preventing the challenger from establishing his own rhythm.
Wardley struggled to cope with the intensity of the assault as Dubois pinned him against the ropes during a punishing opening round. His corner came close to stopping the contest before the bell offered the challenger a brief reprieve.
Wardley’s corner throws in the towel
Wardley returned for the second round, but the pattern of the fight remained unchanged.
Dubois resumed his attack, landing powerful combinations while limiting Wardley’s opportunities to respond. The challenger attempted to fight back, but he could not halt the champion’s relentless pressure.
With Wardley trapped against the ropes and absorbing a sustained barrage of punches, Davison decided enough was enough and threw in the towel.
Referee Steve Gray intervened at 2:21 of the second round, confirming Dubois’ victory by technical knockout and allowing the champion to retain his WBO heavyweight belt.
It was a striking contrast to their first encounter, when Wardley had twice put Dubois on the canvas before eventually succumbing in the 11th round.
Dubois strengthens his heavyweight credentials
The victory improved Dubois’ professional record to 24 wins and three defeats, including 23 victories by knockout or technical knockout.
After the fight, Dubois praised Wardley’s courage but made it clear that he had entered the rematch determined to impose himself from the outset.
“Fabio is a great warrior,” Dubois said, while declaring that it was his time and his era.
The performance reinforced Dubois’ position among Britain’s leading heavyweight boxers and strengthened his ambitions to collect more world titles.
Wardley, meanwhile, fell to 20 wins, two defeats and one draw. Despite the disappointment, the challenger acknowledged Dubois’ performance and expressed his intention to learn from the setback and return stronger.
Filip Hrgovic emerges as a potential next opponent
Attention quickly turned to Dubois’ next challenge after IBF heavyweight champion Filip Hrgovic entered the ring following the contest.
Hrgovic called for a potential rematch with Dubois, with a unification fight offering the possibility of bringing two heavyweight world titles together.
The pair previously met in June 2024, when Dubois defeated Hrgovic to win the interim IBF title. A future contest would give Dubois an opportunity to pursue the IBF belt he previously held.
However, promoter Frank Warren indicated that Hrgovic might need to address other obligations before a rematch could be finalised.
Dubois made his own ambitions clear, expressing his desire to reclaim the IBF title and establish himself at the top of the heavyweight division.
What next for Dubois and Wardley?
For Dubois, the emphatic win provides fresh momentum towards potential world-title unification contests. His aggressive start, powerful right hand and ability to sustain pressure proved decisive against Wardley.
For Wardley, the defeat raises questions about his next move after two physically demanding contests against the same opponent within five months. He will need time to assess the loss before deciding how to rebuild his title ambitions.
For now, the heavyweight division has a clear headline: Dubois settled the rematch in devastating fashion and remains the WBO champion.
Result: Daniel Dubois defeated Fabio Wardley by second-round technical knockout at 2:21 to retain the WBO heavyweight title.