Oleksandr Usyk tells Fabio Wardley where he went wrong against Daniel Dubois
Daniel Dubois brutally stopped Fabio Wardley in their heavyweight meeting earlier this month, and Oleksandr Usyk has now weighed in on the domestic dust-up
Oleksandr Usyk was shocked Fabio Wardley did not use his jab more against Daniel Dubois.
The two British stars went head-to-head in a blockbuster heavyweight showdown earlier this month. Wardley - who was defending his belt for the first time - started quick off the blocks after knocking Dubois down within the opening seconds, before sending his opponent crashing to the canvas again in the third round.
Following the second knockdown, the tide turned in Dubois' favour - who began to pick the Suffolk scrapper apart before stopping a bloodied Wardley in the penultimate round.
Needless to say Usyk had one eye on the heavyweight contest over in Manchester, and was quick to offer his verdict on the clash. The Ukrainian two-division undisputed champion was full of praise for the two fighters, but questioned Wardley's approach throughout the fight.
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During an interview with DAZN, Usyk said: “It’s a street fight. Congratulations Dubois, good job, new world champion, but Fabio, where is jab? Fabio, where?. [He] never jabbed. Maybe once. Only right hand, only right hand. It’s not working. Very strong chin but I think this is a street fight, it’s a problem for both guys for [the] brain and health.”
Wardley may decide to take Usyk's advice on board after it was announced that the Brit had activated the clause in his contract for an immediate rematch with Dubois. Queensberry supremo Frank Warren revealed to Sky Sports that a rematch clause had been inserted into the pair's respective contracts.
And Wardley, just days after suffering the first defeat of his career, decided to take up the immediate rematch with Dubois - with the sequel expected to take place later this year. "The boxing world knows my character, and Saturday night proved that without a shred of doubt," said Wardley. "It was a fight for the ages, but I made some mistakes that I will rectify in the rematch. Congratulations to Daniel, but I'm coming for you… and my belt!"
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An official statement from Queensberry read: "Queensberry can confirm that Fabio Wardley has activated the rematch clause following his defeat in last week’s WBO world title fight against Daniel Dubois at the Co-op Live in Manchester. All parties will now work towards a rematch of their fight of the year contender for later in 2026."
The second meeting between the pair could take place before December, after Warren stated that he expects Dubois to take some time away from the ring before returning to action. "As for Daniel's next fight, a fight in the autumn," Warren told DAZN. "Autumn finishes in November. So we'll see what happens. He needs a rest."
