Fabio Wardley was in Dubai last weekend to see Murat Gassiev claim the WBA regular heavyweight title with a sixth-round knockout of Kubrat Pulev.

Former WBC champion Deontay Wilder was also a very visible presence during the fight week festivities.

In October, Wardley, The Ring’s No. 2-ranked heavyweight, Wardley stopped Joseph Parker in the eleventh round of a brutal fight for the WBO interim title. Wardley (20-0-1, 19 KOs) immediately set his sights on Oleksandr Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs), The Ring and two-time undisputed champion.

After some negotiations about a potential fight, Usyk decided to vacate his WBO belt and Wardley was upgraded to full champion.

England’s Wardley may have missed out on a straight shot at becoming undisputed heavyweight champion, but Wardley now finds himself in the enviable position of being able to continue gathering experience whilst also establishing himself as a champion.

One of the ways to do that is by taking on big names and former titleholders.

Wilder (44-4-1, 43 KOs) looked like a shadow of himself during consecutive losses to Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker. He insists that he refocused and ready to launch a final attempt to regain a world title.

Wardley believes that Wilder needs to prove that he has rediscovered the desire and motivation that carried him to so many dramatic and spectacular wins before earning a shot. If he can, though, the 40-year-old American would tick plenty of boxes.

“Yeah. Massive name,” Wardley said during an appearance on TalkSport Boxing. “That’s the thing, I’m in the mix with those guys now like those your AJs, Furys, Deontay Wilders, whoever else. They’re obviously at the back of their careers, but being able to be around them and, you know, I’m in the place now. We can we can have a scrap. We can have a fight and I can get them names on my resume. So, yeah, look, if he pulls himself together and finds himself to get back in the ring and things, then yeah, I’d love a fight like that.”

Usyk himself recently announced that he has designs on a fight with Wilder.

The 39-year-old Ukrainian has already taken the scalps of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Fighting Wilder would give him the opportunity to leave the sport having beaten the three most recognisable, decorated rivals of his era.

Usyk is nearing the end of an illustrious career and has earned the right to choose his own path to retirement. Seeing him attempt to secure a fight with Wilder still took Wardley by surprise.

“I don’t think it was the one anyone in boxing was kind of expecting,” Wardley said. “I don’t think anyone was going, ‘Oh, I’d like to see the Usyk-Wilder fight.’ And that’s not any takeaway from Wilder at all. I think there’s just other fights out there we were more keen to see.”