Fabio Wardley to defend WBO world title against Daniel Dubois in Manchester

Fabio Wardley will make the first defence of his WBO heavyweight title against former IBF champion Daniel Dubois in Manchester this May.

As first revealed by DAZN News senior boxing editor Chris Walker earlier this week, the duo were confirmed to be set for a late spring bout.

Now, they will contest an all-British affair at Co-op Live on Saturday, May 9, live exclusively on DAZN Pay-Per-View and DAZN Ultimate Tier.

Wardley, the ex-WBA interim champion, defeated Joseph Parker to earn the WBO's interim strap with a late stoppage back in October.

The Ipswich fighter was subsequently upgraded to the full belt a month later after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt rather than face him.

The Ring

It means the door has now opened for Dubois to launch another bid to become world champion, less than a year after he was dethroned.

The London native was elevated to the IBF crown in August 2024 and subsequently defended it against Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium.

He was defeated in a rematch with Usyk however the following July at the same venue, suffering a five-round defeat against the Ukrainian.

The pair's bout is the latest all-British heavyweight title fight in recent years, including Tyson Fury's bouts with Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora.

It comes with Usyk's next steps currently up in the air, after the unified champion's pursuit of a bout with Deontay Wilder fell short last month.

All-British bout set to thrill Manchester

DAZN Senior Boxing Editor Christopher Walker

British boxing is enjoying a dominant run in the heavyweight division, and the next chapter takes place in May when Wardley and Dubois clash.

For Dubois, this shot comes on the back of a painful defeat to Usyk when he was soundly beaten by arguably boxing’s best fighter.

Many doubts were present that night regarding Dubois’ future, but his team, which has changed more than once, performed a miracle in getting him a title shot just months after he endured a loss.

In Wardley, Dubois is facing one of the biggest success stories in boxing as he is going in with a man who found the sport after participating in numerous white-collar fights.

This was Wardley's only experience of the fighting world and he has entered the vast majority of his fights conceding a wealth of experience.

Despite that disadvantage, Wardley’s will to win and explosive power have seen him flatten the likes of Frazer Clarke and Joseph Parker, but could Dubois be his biggest test?

This fascinating meeting of heavy hitters is likely to be decided by power and grit. Wardley has proven he has both attributes every time he has stepped into a ring.

For Dubois, the latter part has occasionally been missing, but he has rallied when it has mattered most, and he may need that more than ever if he is to become world champion again.

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