‘It was an honor’: Daniel Dubois thanks Fabio Wardley for epic heavyweight war

Fabio Wardley (left) and Daniel Dubois during their WBO heavyweight title bout at Co-op Live, Manchester. Picture date: Saturday May 9, 2026. (Photo by Richard Sellers/PA Images via Getty Images) | PA Images via Getty Images

Daniel Dubois has a heavyweight title again, as “DDD” took the WBO belt away from Fabio Wardley in an epic, bloody war today in Manchester, England.

It’s a fight that is destined to go down in legend, with Dubois (23-3, 22 KO) coming off the canvas twice early to turn the face of Wardley (20-1-1, 19 KO) into a frankly gruesome sight, with referee Howard Foster stepping in to stop the war in the 11th round.

Wardley never gave up and kept wanting to continue, even after it was clear only a miracle was going to keep the belt in his corner. It was an unbelievable display that promoter Frank Warren called the “best heavyweight fight he’s ever put on,” and if you watched, you can believe that he truly meant that.

Dubois repeatedly thanked Wardley for his efforts and for a great fight when all was said and done.

“It was a war. We came through the sticky situations and that was a war. Thank you, Fabio, for that. Thank you,” Dubois said. “I’ve got heart, bundles of heart. I’m a warrior in there. I had to shake off (the knockdowns) and come back. I’m a warrior.”

“I had to pull the jab out of the bag and rely on it, and use all my skills. What a great battle, a great fight. He’s a durable guy. He’s a great warrior. I thank him for a great fight. It was an honor to be in the ring with him.”

Dubois didn’t name any particular fight that might come next, saying he only wants to come back stronger now that he’s a champion again.

Warren did note that the fight had a rematch clause, but Wardley may need too much time to recover to activate it within the contractual window.