Floyd Schofield and Lucas Bahdi agree WBA lightweight title fight

Floyd Schofield and Lucas Bahdi have agreed terms for a vacant WBA lightweight title fight on October 10, avoiding a purse bid that had been delayed while their teams continued negotiations. The bout will decide the belt previously held by Gervonta Davis, who has been declared WBA champion in recess.

The fight was due to go to purse bids this week, with the minimum bid set at $150,000, before Golden Boy, who promote Schofield, and Most Valuable Promotions, who promote Bahdi, reached an agreement. The WBA had postponed the purse bid scheduled for August 11 in Houston after both sides requested more time, extending the negotiation period until August 18.

Schofield’s manager Michael Miller told The Ring: “The fight will take place on October 10 and we are 99% sure it will be in Las Vegas. We are thankful for the opportunity to fight for a title. It’s something we’ve been waiting on for years.” Mike Coppinger reported that sources said the fight had been signed for October 10 in Chicago, leaving the venue to be formally clarified as the event details are finalised.

Vacant belt opened by Davis ruling

The WBA ordered Schofield and Bahdi to contest the title after reviewing Davis’ legal situation and determining that ongoing proceedings could prevent him from meeting his championship obligations in the short and medium term. The sanctioning body said the decision was made under its championship rules and code of ethics, with Davis no longer listed as a titleholder on the WBA website.

Davis had held the WBA lightweight title since 2019 and last fought in a WBA title bout when he drew with Lamont Roach Jr in March 2025. With Davis moved aside as champion in recess, Schofield, the WBA’s No. 1 contender, and Bahdi, ranked No. 2 by the organisation, now move into a direct title fight rather than waiting on Davis’ availability.

Schofield, 23, is 19-0 with 13 knockouts and is also rated No. 6 by The Ring at lightweight. His last fight came in June 2025, when he stopped former junior lightweight titleholder Tevin Farmer in the first round, a result that strengthened his position with the WBA after he had withdrawn from a scheduled WBC title fight with Shakur Stevenson during fight week four months earlier while citing illness.

Bahdi, 32, is 20-0 with 15 knockouts and sits at No. 8 in The Ring’s lightweight ratings. The Ontario fighter raised his profile with a knockout of then-unbeaten Ashton Sylve in 2024 and has since recorded decision wins over Armando Casamonica, Ryan James Racaza and Roger Gutierrez, handing Casamonica and Racaza the first losses of their careers.

The WBA title fight also lands at a point of movement across the lightweight division. William Zepeda recently claimed the vacant WBC title with a decision over Roach, while IBF titleholder Raymond Muratalla has said his defence against Robson Conceicao was his final fight at lightweight.

With the purse bid no longer required, the next step is formal confirmation of the site and event details for Schofield-Bahdi. The winner will restore an active WBA champion at lightweight and take a leading position in a division already shifting around newly crowned and potentially departing titleholders.