Boxing May 26, 2026

Daniel Dubois could take an immediate rematch against Fabio Wardley or a fight against Agit Kabayel next

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By Admin
Sports Journalist
Daniel Dubois could take an immediate rematch against Fabio Wardley or a fight against Agit Kabayel next

Fabio Wardley could decide to enforce an immediate rematch with Daniel Dubois after losing his WBO heavyweight title in an epic fight in Manchester.

Dubois was crowned as the new WBO champion after climbing off the canvas twice to stop Wardley in the 11th round of

But promoter Frank Warren confirmed that a rematch clause had been inserted in the fight contract, meaning that Wardley could activate a return bout after losing the WBO belt in his first defence.

"There is a rematch clause in the contract." Warren told DAZN. "Let the dust settle, there's a lot of things happening in the heavyweight [division] and then we'll see."

When asked again about a potential rematch, Warren told Your Site: "It's up to them. It's up to the fighters."

"I would [like to promote a rematch] but I'd like to see them before they do that have a real good rest, recharge their batteries and everything."

Dubois had been stopped by Oleksandr Usyk in a rematch last July, but any questions about his appetite for battle were answered as he triumphed against Wardley.

"He showed what he's all about," said Warren. "He showed his heart and his fighting spirit

"It's not the end of the world for Fabio either. It takes two to make a fight like that and there were times in there you thought Fabio may win the fight.

"He's good enough to come back and he will come back, and we'll be behind him and we'll make sure we give him all the opportunities."

Agit Kabayel was watching from ringside and voiced his desire to face Dubois in the near future.

Unified champion Oleksandr Usyk holds the WBC title, but Warren believes the Ukrainian could be stripped of the belt if he doesn't fight Kabayel after his next scheduled fight against Rico Verhoeven in Egypt on May 23.

"That's his choice [if Usyk wants to fight Kabayel next]," Warren told Your Site. "If he doesn't then he'll have to vacate the belt or get stripped."

Warren, who also promotes Kabayel, has admitted that a fight between the Germany-based fighter and Dubois would be easy to make.

"It would be, but Agit is the next one in. Easy way to do it - if he [Usyk] wants to vacate the belt, he [Kabayel] can fight the winner of this one."

The unbeaten Kabayel retained his WBC interim title with a third-round stoppage of Damian Knyba in January and is open to a world title unification fight against Dubois.

"I'm the No 1 contender of WBC," he told Your Site.

"First of all, I wait on the situation from the WBC, Rico vs Usyk and after maybe we will show.

"When Usyk gives me the belt I can fight with the winner of this fight, why not?"

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