Fabio Wardley admits preparation was not ideal after Daniel Dubois rematch loss

Daniel Dubois kept the WBO heavyweight title by beating Wardley inside two rounds, five months after stopping him in the 11th round of their first fight.

Fabio Wardley blamed a flawed build-up and a better plan from Daniel Dubois for his rematch defeat, after Dubois ended their second fight for the WBO heavyweight title inside two rounds.

The loss is Wardley's second in a row against Dubois and leaves his record at 20-2-1 with 19 knockouts. He went into the rematch hoping to win back the WBO belt he lost in their first meeting, which ended in the 11th round. Many had questioned whether an immediate return was the right decision after the punishment Wardley took that night, when he was bloodied and unsteady on his feet for several rounds before the finish.

Walking from the ring to the dressing room, Wardley said: “You can really shorten it and say the preparation for me wasn’t ideal and Daniel learned the most from the first fight and came out with a better game plan.” He added that it was as simple as that, and accepted the result plainly: “Right now, I lost.” He pointed to Dubois as proof that a fighter can lose and come back, noting that Dubois had won the world title for a second time.

Wardley's two defeats followed a demanding run of fights. He came from behind to beat Justis Huni and Joseph Parker, and before that fought Frazer Clarke to a 12-round draw.

Dubois has rebuilt since losing to Joe Joyce and twice to Oleksandr Usyk. Alongside his two wins over Wardley, he has stopped Anthony Joshua and Filip Hrgovic.

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