CHICAGO — Unbeaten lightweight Lucas Bahdi will fight fellow unbeaten Floyd Schofield Jnr for the vacant WBA lightweight title Saturday night in Chicago on DAZN, with history on the line for Canada and for Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions. Bahdi, 20-0 (15 KOs), can become Canada’s first 135-pound world champion and the first male fighter promoted by MVP to win a world title belt, while Schofield, 19-0 (13 KOs), enters as a -800 favorite with DraftKings.
Bahdi, 32, of Niagara Falls, Canada, built his contention on one massive punch, knocking out prominent MVP contender Ashton Sylve in the sixth round after losing the first five rounds on all three scorecards. He followed with a majority decision victory on the undercard of the Paul-Mike Tyson bout and later attended the WBA convention in Florida to advocate for a ranking. “When I first started boxing, I wanted to learn how to fight and I wanted to be the best fighter in the world,” Bahdi told BoxingScene Tuesday. “Little did I know where it was going to take me … that was 18 years ago. Now, I’m fighting for the championship of the world.”
Schofield of Austin, Texas, is coming off a first-round knockout of veteran former 130-pound champion Tevin Farmer in June 2025 in Southern California, while Bahdi has been sidelined since his unanimous decision over Roger Gutierrez in August 2025. Both have waited for the opportunity created when the WBA stripped legally embattled ex-champion Gervonta Davis of his belt. “I don’t think ring rust will be an issue. We’ve both been out because we were waiting for this opportunity,” Bahdi said. “Sometimes it takes a while for things to line up properly – and it took a lot longer than we expected – but here we are. The wait is over.”
Bahdi called Schofield “the real deal” and said he is prepared for a fast, explosive fighter, embracing his underdog status. “There’s nothing better than an underdog story. [Schofield] is the big name in this fight and that’s going to do a 180 for this fight,” Bahdi said. He pointed to the 32 rounds he has logged across three decision victories since the Sylve fight as key preparation. “It just adds to the experience, and it’s exactly what I needed to get ready for Saturday night,” Bahdi said. “Makes me smarter, gives me more experience … the more rounds you go, the more you learn. Those 32 rounds in the bag is great for me.”
Bahdi also credited promoter Jake Paul’s rise from YouTube influencer to boxer who has faced MMA greats, Mike Tyson and two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua as inspiration for his own self-made path. “To me, it’s destiny. I’m super excited. This is a big opportunity. I couldn’t have done it without MVP, couldn’t have done it without my team,” Bahdi said. “Saturday night, we’re going to find out who the real deal is. Whoever they put in front of me is going to get knocked out.”