Floyd Schofield will face Lucas Bahdi for the vacant WBA lightweight championship on 10 October in Chicago. Golden Boy Promotions and Most Valuable Promotions finalized terms to avoid a purse bid, placing two undefeated contenders in direct competition for the title.
The sanctioning body ordered the contest after placing Gervonta Davis in its champion in recess category in June, as pending legal matters prevented him from fulfilling mandatory duties. Journalist Mike Coppinger confirmed that both promotional camps signed the paperwork ahead of the scheduled deadline.
Schofield, 23, enters the bout ranked sixth at 135 pounds by The Ring with an undefeated 19-0 record containing 13 stoppages. The American prospect was set to challenge Shakur Stevenson in February 2025 before withdrawing during fight week. He returned four months later to stop Tevin Farmer in the opening round. Schofield relies on explosive hand speed. Still, his reliance on raw athleticism has occasionally created defensive lapses during exchanges. Rene Tellez Giron capitalized on those openings to drop him during their 2024 meeting, exposing defensive flaws that require strict discipline.
Bahdi represents a genuine hurdle. The 32-year-old Canadian holds a 20-0 record with 15 knockouts and is ranked eighth by The Ring. His career transformed in July 2024 after stopping Ashton Sylve in the sixth round with a crushing left-right sequence, despite Sylve controlling most of the preceding action. That victory earned the Ontario native a multi-bout contract with Most Valuable Promotions. He has since built momentum by defeating Armando Casamonica, Ryan James Racaza, and former WBA super featherweight champion Roger Gutierrez.
Bahdi brings heavy physical strength and composed finishing power. While he is unlikely to outbox Schofield in a pure speed contest, he does not require high round-by-round volume. He needs only to stay within range to capitalize whenever Schofield overextends or retreats with his chin exposed.
The stakes in Chicago are definitive. The winner will emerge as the WBA’s full titleholder at lightweight. That outcome will set up a potential consolidation match with Davis whenever the sanctioning body returns him to active status.
