Fabio Wardley floored Daniel Dubois twice but lost – what must change in their rematch?

Fabio Wardley already knows he can knock Daniel Dubois down. The harder question before their rematch is whether he can control the fight when Dubois gets back up.

Two knockdowns gave Wardley an extraordinary start to their first meeting in May. Dubois survived both, recovered his composure and eventually took the WBO heavyweight title through an 11th-round stoppage.

They meet again at London’s O2 Arena on 17 October. For Wardley, the challenge is to turn those early opportunities into a more sustainable route to victory.

Our assessment is that his best chance rests on three connected adjustments: more measured finishing, better protection between attacks and a plan that remains workable if Dubois survives the opening rounds.

Wardley must prepare for the punch after the knockdown

Wardley’s own explanation offers a starting point. In his account of the build-up, The Ring’s Keith Idec reported that Wardley attributed the defeat partly to abandoning his game plan after hurting Dubois.

That makes his response to another breakthrough particularly important. A knockdown creates an opportunity, but it does not reveal exactly how much an opponent has recovered during the count.

Wardley could benefit from testing that recovery with controlled attacks rather than committing everything immediately. Keeping his feet underneath him would give him a better chance to defend a counter and continue his pressure.

This would still leave room for aggression. The proposed change is to make each attack purposeful, with a way out when the opening closes.

If Dubois survives again, Wardley needs to reach the next round with enough energy and discipline to keep winning exchanges.

Disrupting Dubois’s jab should be a priority

The early knockdowns can obscure how Dubois rebuilt the first fight. John Evans’s ringside report for The Ring described the growing effectiveness of his straight punches, including repeated success with the jab in the fifth round.

That suggests a practical target for Wardley’s preparation: interrupt the champion’s ability to establish distance and follow his lead hand with the right.

Varying his position after punching could help. Rather than remaining directly in front of Dubois to admire a successful shot or launch another, Wardley could finish combinations with a step away or a change of angle.

Those are proposed adjustments, not guarantees. Movement carries its own risks if it becomes predictable, and simply retreating could allow Dubois to advance behind his jab.

The useful measure will be whether Wardley makes Dubois reset before attacking again. Even short interruptions could reduce the number of consecutive exchanges fought on the champion’s terms.

An early knockout cannot be the entire plan

Wardley has predicted a finish within the opening quarter of the rematch. His confidence is understandable, but the first fight provides a strong reason to prepare beyond that scenario.

A workable alternative would give him objectives between the big moments: contest the quieter rounds, limit clean return shots and avoid treating every exchange as a finishing opportunity.

Fans should watch his behaviour after an unsuccessful attack. Does he immediately load up again, or regain his position? Can he let an opportunity pass without chasing it?

Those decisions may reveal more about his adjustments than another explosive opening.

Dubois also has a clear problem to solve

As Reuters reported after the first fight, Wardley put Dubois down in the first and third rounds. Winning eventually does not make that start something the champion can afford to repeat.

Dubois therefore has his own incentive to begin with greater defensive discipline. If he can establish his jab without offering Wardley another immediate opening, the challenger may have to build opportunities more patiently.

Wardley has evidence that his power can change this contest. To regain the title, he needs a method that keeps working when one damaging punch is not enough.