Fabio Wardley’s hit-list for first title defence revealed

Charlotte-Marie Ford
7 Feb 2026

The WBO heavyweight champion has held talks for an all-British battle.

Fabio Wardley announced himself on the world stage in October, after stopping Joseph Parker in the 11th round to claim the WBO interim heavyweight title.

He was widely expected to face Oleksandr Usyk next, but the Ukrainian decided to vacate the WBO belt instead of making a mandatory defence against Wardley.

In light of Usyk’s decision, the Briton was elevated to full champion without throwing a punch.

Attention has since turned to who Wardley will make his first title defence against.

His manager, Mike Ofo, has offered insight into the team’s behind-the-scenes discussions.

He explained to Sky Sports: “Fabio wanted to fight Oleksandr Usyk after beating Joseph Parker.

“But [Usyk] chose to pursue Deontay Wilder instead.

“Now that fight has fallen through, Fabio wants a unification fight with Usyk for all the belts.

“We were pursuing a fight with [Derek] Chisora or [Deontay] Wilder for April 4, but they took refuge in each other’s arms.

“And as you can see from the presser, they are acting like a loved-up couple.

“But boxing’s a tough sport, so I wish them all the best for the future.

“As for Daniel Dubois, clearly that’s a fight that Fabio would be well up for.

“There’s nothing like an all-British showdown for the world heavyweight title!”

A fight between Britain’s heavyweight stars, Wardley (20-0-1, 19 KOs) and Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs), promises a blockbuster night for the sport.

And according to Derek Chisora, it’s exactly what can be expected in 2026.

Chisora told Seconds Out: “This is what I said to Frank [Warren], I’m like, ‘What are we tryin’ to do here, get him killed?

“Give him another easy fight, build him up, and then that’s it.’

“But I’ll tell you a scoop: Daniel is fighting Fabio [Wardley].”

Elsewhere, Filip Hrgovic and Zhilei Zhang are also in contention for a shot at Wardley’s crown.

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