CHICAGO — Lucas Bahdi will chase history on Saturday night in Chicago when the unbeaten Canadian faces fellow undefeated Floyd Schofield Jnr for the vacant WBA lightweight title live on DAZN. Bahdi, 20-0 (15 KOs), can become Canada's first 135lbs world champion and the first male fighter promoted by Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions to win a world title.
Bahdi, 32, from Niagara Falls, built his contention on one massive punch, decking prominent MVP contender Ashton Sylve in the sixth round after losing the opening five rounds on all three scorecards. He later earned a majority decision on the undercard of the Paul-Mike Tyson bout and attended the WBA convention in Florida to lobby 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. 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."
Schofield, 19-0 (13 KOs) from Austin, Texas, arrives off a sensational first-round knockout of veteran former 130lbs champion Tevin Farmer in June 2025 in Southern California. Both men have been sidelined since — Schofield since that win and Bahdi since his unanimous decision over Roger Gutierrez in August 2025 — while waiting for the opportunity created when the WBA stripped legally embattled ex-champion Gervonta Davis. "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."
DraftKings list Schofield as a -800 favourite, but Bahdi embraces the underdog role and his recent experience. He assesses Schofield as "the real deal" and said he is prepared for "a very fast, explosive fighter," adding "he's going to have his hands full, that's for sure." Bahdi added: "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." He points to 32 rounds across his three decision victories since the Sylve fight as vital preparation: "It just adds to the experience, and it's exactly what I needed to get ready for Saturday night," he 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 draws inspiration from promoter Paul's own rise from YouTube influencer to headliner against Tyson and two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. "Jake's a master at [manifesting]. The most impressive part to me is his mental game of how he deals with that pressure as a guy who's not supposed to be a boxer," Bahdi said. His prediction for Saturday is blunt: "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."