Eddie Hearn breaks down the Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley clash

Daniel Dubios and Fabio Wardley are expected to meet in Manchester in May

After finding himself upgraded to WBO world champion following Oleksandr Usyk's decision to vacate, Fabio Wardley (20-0-1, 19 KOs) is ready to make his maiden title defence.

Wardley will step in against former world champion Daniel Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs).

Dubois, who has faced Usyk on two occasions, will be hoping to return to winning ways following his most recent defeat to the Ukrainian.

The 28-year-old only lasted until the fifth round, with Usyk's ring IQ and clever shot selection proving too much for the Briton to handle.

The all-British showdown is touted for May 9 in Manchester , with the winner potentially pushing themselves closer to a heavily sought-after shot for the undisputed title.

Both men are known for their fight-changing power, with Wardley most recently showcasing this equaliser against Joseph Parker in what was originally planned as a final eliminator for a showdown with Usyk.

Speaking ahead of the fight, Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn has admitted that he is surprised by Dubois’s decision to pursue the matchup.

“If I was Daniel Dubois, I would be coming back with a [lesser] fight, but what happens is you make so much money that you don’t want to come back with one of those fights because you are not really looking at the long play,” Hearn told iFL TV

“I think sometimes that is a little bit of a poor decision. The last time Daniel Dubois fought was July, against Usyk, that was now eight months ago. So, if he fights in May, he is going to have been out of the ring for 10 months after getting knocked out.”

Hearn went onto reveals he feels Wardley may have the upper hand when the pair eventually meet.

“Daniel Dubois is the kind of guy where, if he has any doubts in himself or if he is not 100% confident, he is much easier to beat than the flip side of that.

“Daniel Dubois hits really hard, he can take anybody out or hurt anybody early but if you get past two, three or four rounds with him and you start making him second guess himself, you can break him down real quick.

“I think that Wardley and his team will look at that fight and say ‘that is a good fight for us’.”