Daniel Dubois-Fabio Wardley WBO rematch confirmed for 17 October at The O2

Daniel Dubois will defend the WBO heavyweight title against Fabio Wardley in a rematch on 17 October at The O2 in London.

The fight was announced on Saturday at the same venue before Moses Itauma’s heavyweight title bout with Filip Hrgovic. The confirmation settles the immediate venue question after Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena, where Dubois stopped Wardley in May, had been among the options for the second fight.

Dubois won the WBO belt from Wardley on 9 May, recovering from knockdowns in the first and third rounds before forcing an 11th-round stoppage. Referee Howard Foster ended the fight with Dubois in control, handing Wardley the first defeat of his professional career.

Wardley activated the rematch clause in the days after the loss, keeping him in a direct return with Dubois rather than taking an interim bout. The decision drew scrutiny because of the damage Wardley absorbed late in the first fight, but the 30-year-old has maintained that he can make the necessary changes.

At Saturday’s announcement, Dubois said: “I’m going for a dominant victory. I can’t wait, let’s get it on. When you get in the water, you are going to get wet, I love it.”

Wardley said: “It didn’t take long [for him to trigger the rematch]. The o2 is like a home away from home for me. I’m looking forward to getting back to it. It’s going to be revenge. Adjustments need to be made, I have done it before against Frazer Clarke. I’ve proven I can change.”

 The rematch also comes with Dubois operating after another change around his team. Sam Jones said this month that he had left Team Dubois, writing on social media: “I have decided to leave my position from Team Dubois. I wish Dan and the team nothing but the best going forward.”

Jones had previously questioned the wisdom of Wardley going straight into the rematch, while Wardley’s manager, Michael Ofo, has argued that his fighter can correct the errors from the first meeting. That dispute is now part of the build-up to a second WBO title fight that will take place just over five months after the original contest.

The confirmed date gives both camps a short turnaround before returning to London, where Dubois will make the first defence of the belt he took from Wardley and Wardley will attempt to regain the title through the contractual rematch clause.