We are just days away from a WBO heavyweight title fight between champion Fabio Wardley (20-0-1, 19 KOs) and former IBF world champion Daniel Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs), live from the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England, on DAZN. With so much on the line, including a potential undisputed fight against Oleksandr Usyk, Saturday’s stakes are high. So, in the end, who will come out victorious?
FABIO WARDLEY COULD BE ONE STEP CLOSER TO USYK – FIRST IT’S DANIEL DUBOIS
The heavyweight division has always featured fighters who could be counted out but always find a way to win late in fights, making their careers sound like folk tales among fight fans. That’s the career of Wardley, who wasn’t always on fight fans’ bingo cards but somehow forced his way into the heavyweight picture. Wardley burst onto the scene in March 2024, when he fought Frazer Clarke in a bout streamed on Peacock in the U.S., giving fight fans a chance to see someone they hadn’t gotten to follow on his way up. The fight was so entertaining that they rematched seven months later in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This time, Wardley left no doubt, knocking out Clarke in the first round. Wardley was officially on everyone’s radar as someone to watch at this point.
Riding the wave of victory, Wardley was scheduled to face Jarrell Miller, but that fight soon fell through due to an injury, allowing up-and-coming prospect Justis Huni to step in. Huni was having a ton of success and even winning on the scorecards, but he got careless for one second and was stopped in the tenth round. Wardley would then face Joseph Parker in October, which turned out to be a thriller. Wardley was hurt a few times throughout the fight but put it all together in the championship rounds and stopped Parker in the 11th.
Now, Wardley has become “must-watch TV” in the heavyweight division and will face Dubois in an intriguing fight. How does he beat Dubois? Wardley needs to jump on Dubois right from the start. He cannot let Dubois settle in and roll out his game plan. Wardley has to use his speed to stay on the front foot and get Dubois on the ropes. It’s there that he can slip in combinations and force Dubois to take risks. If Wardley can rattle Dubois early and force him to abandon the game plan, he can score a late stoppage or even a decision victory.
DANIEL DUBOIS GETS ANOTHER SHOT AT A HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
When Dubois turned pro in 2017, there was a lot of talk about him being the fighter who would replace Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury as the face of boxing in England. He was headed in that direction until he met Joe Joyce in 2020. After suffering a broken orbital bone in his eye, Dubois’s fight was stopped in the tenth round, and fans began to question whether he was ready for the next level or ready to be “the guy” at any point.
Dubois would win four in a row before getting his shot at Usyk for the unified heavyweight title in 2023. That night, a controversial low-blow call, which some say should have been a knockout victory for Dubois, led to him being stopped in the ninth round and missing his opportunity to become a world champion. In 2024, Dubois stopped Filip Hrgovic to become the IBF interim champion and would later be elevated to full champion. The first defense of the title would be a stunning TKO over Anthony Joshua. Last summer, Dubois would face Usyk again and would lose by knockout, which cost him his title. Now Dubois looks to become a two-time world champion when he faces Warley.
Can Dubois take advantage of this opportunity to become the WBO heavyweight champion, or will he once again come up short on the big stage? How does he beat Wardley? Dubois needs to take advantage of Wardley’s low hand placement. When Wardley throws the straight right hand, Dubois needs to slip and come back with the overhand right. Also, Wardley tends to dip to his right, so a check left hook would benefit Dubois in those instances. Dubois has to keep Wardley on his back foot and avoid being on the inside. If Dubois does this and mixes in some combinations from outside mid-range, he can potentially score a late stoppage.
FABIO WARDLEY VS DANIEL DUBOIS PREDICTION
This fight will be somewhat tactical early on, but after both fighters warm up, it’ll be bombs away. When the power punches are exchanged, I think Dubois will get the better of it and score a late TKO. Dubois by TKO between rounds 7 and 10.
FABIO WARDLEY VS DANIEL DUBOIS BETTING ODDS
Per BETUS, Fabio Wardley -120 and Daniel Dubois -110 are both reflecting favorite odds, as this is truly a 50/50 fight.
Fabio Wardley: TKO/KO +130; Decision +600
Draw: +1600
Daniel Dubois: TKO/KO +175; Decision +600
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