Tony Bellew makes a bold and surprising prediction for Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley fight
Former WBC cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew has made a bold prediction ahead of the rematch between Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley at the O2 Arena.
They first fought in Manchester this past May, where Dubois amazingly bounced back from two knockdowns to win by stopping Wardley in the 11th round and claim the WBO world title. That fight was Wardley’s first professional loss. Together, they have a total of 41 knockouts, so fans are expecting a thrilling match in London.
Most people are backing Dubois because he has more experience, having faced world-class fighters like Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua. Wardley, on the other hand, is newer to the pro scene. He left his recruitment job in 2018 to focus on boxing and had no amateur fights, only four white-collar bouts before turning professional.
Both fighters hit new career-high weights at yesterday’s weigh-in — Wardley at 248.3 lbs, which is 5.3 lbs heavier than before, and Dubois at 253.9 lbs, up 2.15 lbs from his previous best.
Bellew has criticized Dubois’ mindset, calling him a quitter in the past. After Dubois’ second loss to Usyk in 2025, Bellew said, “When you’ve had moments where you think, ‘I’m hurt, I’m down, I’ve had enough,’ and don’t fight back, it shows a certain mentality.” He believes Dubois struggles when things get tough, and that hasn’t changed.
Now, Bellew is backing Wardley to win this fight, saying to BBC Sport, “I’m going with Fabio Wardley to knock Dubois out within six rounds. That’s my call!”
Not everyone agrees, though. Fellow Liverpudlian and former world title challenger Paul Smith thinks Dubois will come through in the later rounds. “Wardley will start strong, which is his best chance, but I think Dubois will last and use his boxing the same way as before.”
Former two-weight champ Carl Frampton also expects a similar outcome, even possibly sooner. He points out that Wardley took a serious beating last time and might not be the same this time around. Frampton says, “Wardley’s best shot is to attack hard early, but if it goes on, Dubois’ jab will wear him down again. I see Dubois winning between rounds seven and 10.”
Fans can look forward to an exciting night, with the main event between Dubois and Wardley supported by other bouts featuring fighters like Louie O’Doherty, Bakhodir Jalolov, and more.