Fabio Wardley's hopes of joining an illustrious group of fighters to have been crowned heavyweight champion of the world twice blew up in smoke in London on Saturday night.
Whilst the Ipswich man had plenty of moments of success during the initial exchanges of the first fight, he offered very little in the hugely-anticipated rematch as Dubois wrecked havoc right from the opening bell.
The WBO champion floored Wardley inside the opening minute, and whilst the challenger displayed those now trademark powers of recovery to soldier on, he had no answer to a second onslaught in the second stanza.
A brutal beat-down in the corner forced Wardley's corner to launch the white towel over the top ropes, with referee Steve Gray immediately halting the contest.
While Dubois will now move on to world championship unification bouts in the new year, we take a look at what could be in store for Wardley in 2027.
Fabio Wardley Potential Next Opponent
Joseph Parker
While the Queensberry man might not be in the immediate frame for a title fight after a second successive loss to Dubois, it's hard to imagine a world in which the level of his opponents drops considerably. This makes the Joseph Parker rematch an interesting proposition.
Wardley and Parker locked horns in a blockbuster encounter at London's O2 Arena in October 2025, and after a barrage of punches from the Ipswich-born man in the penultimate round, the New Zealand heavyweight was stopped.
It was revealed that Parker tested positive for a banned substance in the aftermath of the fight, but the 34-year-old has had his suspension lifted and prepares for a return to the ring.
While an immediate rematch with Parker could prove a risky fight for Wardley, he has mixed with the elite of the division in the form of Dubois and will be keen to bounce back emphatically after consecutive defeats.
As for Parker, you could argue that -- at 34-years-old -- he doesn't have too much time to waste if he wants to put his name back in the fold for heavyweight title fights following his absence.
Jarrell Miller
Wardley vs Jarrell Miller was scheduled to happen at Portman Road on June 7th 2025, before the American pulled out due to a shoulder injury, and you could argue that there's no better time for the two heavyweights to get it back on.
Miller defeated Lenier Pero last time out in a WBA heavyweight title eliminator, and while the expectation was that he'd target champion Murat Gassiev for the belt, it's reported that the Russian is in line to fight Derek Chisora, while the 'Super' WBA strap could instead be on the line when Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua clash in December.
Just like the WBA 'Regular' and 'Super' titles, Miller is in limbo, but he has never been shy in disclosing his wish for high-profile fights.
Wardley vs Miller, in Wardley's home town of Ipswich, was a high-profile bout at the time, and so the Brit's involvement in back-to-back heavyweight title clashes since would only elevate a revisited fight between the two.
It's worth noting that Wardley is currently ranked outside of the top 10 with two of the four governing bodies, and so the opportunity to fight Miller -- who is ranked as number one with the WBA -- may appeal to the 31-year-old as he looks to get his title hopes back on track.
Lawrence Okolie
Lawrence Okolie once said that a fight between himself and Wardley was "guaranteed" and while the former WBO heavyweight champion has understandably turned his attention to back-to-back encounters with Dubois, it's an all-British bout that does make sense in 2027.
'The Sauce' is 3-0 since making the jump up to the heavyweight division after defeating Hussein Muhamed, Kevin Lerena and Ebenezer Tetteh, and while eventually he'll be keen to engage in fights for world belts, he has expressed a desire to conquer the domestic scene before moving onto the world stage.
On a similar note to why the Miller fight may make sense for Parker, Okolie is ranked second with the WBC -- only behind Tyson Fury -- and so victory for the Ipswich Town fan against the high-profile contender could catapult him up the rankings.
Okolie's awkward style, combined with his superior physical reach, would make him a tough opponent for Wardley, but he has to get the best of top contenders if he is to put himself back in the frame for a title shot.
