(August 20th) Golden Boy Promotions and Most Valuable Promotions have finalized terms for an all-action showdown between undefeated lightweight contenders Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield and Lucas “Prince” Bahdi, with the pair set to battle for the vacant World Boxing Association lightweight world championship on Saturday, October 10, 2026. The agreement was reached ahead of a scheduled WBA purse bid, eliminating the need for the promotional auction. The fight’s location has not yet been officially announced, although Schofield’s manager, Michael Miller, told The Ring that Las Vegas is currently considered approximately 99 percent likely to host the championship contest.

Schofield, 19-0, 13Ko’s, enters the biggest opportunity of his young career as the WBA’s No. 1-ranked lightweight contender and the No. 6-rated lightweight by The Ring. The 23-year-old Austin, Texas-based contender, who was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, has established himself as one of the division’s most talented young fighters. Schofield has not fought since June 28, 2025, when he produced the defining performance of his career by stopping former junior lightweight world champion Tevin Farmer in the first round. Schofield dropped Farmer twice before the referee halted the contest at 1:18 of the opening round.

Before the Farmer knockout, Schofield successfully defended his WBA International lightweight title against Rene “El Bravo” Tellez Giron on November 2, 2024. Schofield dominated the 12-round contest to earn a unanimous decision by scores of 118-109, 118-109 and 116-111, although he was forced to overcome a knockdown in the 11th round. The victory improved his record at the time to 18-0, 12 KOs and set the stage for his eventual statement victory over Farmer.

Bahdi, 20-0, 15Ko’s, brings his own unbeaten record and considerable momentum into the championship fight. The 32-year-old Niagara Falls, Ontario, native is ranked No. 2 by the WBA and No. 8 by The Ring, making the October 10 matchup a direct collision between two of the leading undefeated contenders in the 135-pound division.

Bahdi’s most recent outing came on August 23, 2025, when he defeated former WBA junior lightweight champion Roger Gutiérrez by unanimous decision in a 12-round WBA lightweight title eliminator. The judges scored the fight 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112 for Bahdi. The Canadian also scored a knockdown with a counter right hand at the end of the sixth round, establishing himself as a legitimate world-title contender in one of boxing’s deepest divisions.

Prior to the Gutiérrez victory, Bahdi defeated Ryan James Racaza by 10-round unanimous decision on March 7, 2025. That victory followed one of the most explosive performances of his career: a sixth-round knockout of previously unbeaten prospect Ashton Sylve on July 20, 2024. Bahdi also owns a unanimous-decision victory over previously unbeaten Armando Casamonica, further strengthening an undefeated résumé that has steadily moved him toward world-title contention.

The vacant WBA lightweight championship became available after the WBA designated Gervonta “Tank” Davis as “Champion in Recess” in June 2026. The WBA’s Championships Committee determined that Davis’ ongoing legal situation could prevent him from fulfilling his championship obligations within the organization’s required timeframes and subsequently designated No. 1 contender Schofield and No. 2 contender Bahdi to fight for the vacant title.

The matchup represents a compelling collision of styles and experience.

Schofield enters with the confidence of a devastating knockout over a former world champion, while Bahdi brings proven punching power and a résumé that includes a spectacular stoppage of a previously unbeaten prospect and a championship-eliminator victory over former titlist Gutiérrez. With both fighters unbeaten and both positioned inside The Ring’s top 10 at lightweight, the October 10 contest will determine a new WBA world champion and provide the winner with a major foothold in one of boxing’s most competitive divisions.

“This is the opportunity Floyd Schofield has been waiting for,” said a Golden Boy Promotions representative. “Floyd has worked tirelessly for the chance to compete for a world championship, and he will enter this fight determined to show that he belongs among the elite at 135 pounds. Lucas Bahdi is an undefeated, dangerous contender with legitimate knockout power, and that combination makes this a tremendous championship matchup.”

Bahdi and Most Valuable Promotions have likewise agreed to the contest rather than proceeding to the WBA-ordered purse bid. The agreement followed an extension of negotiations after the original August 11 purse bid was postponed at the request of both sides. The WBA had initially established a minimum bid of $150,000 before the promotional agreement was reached.

As Las Vegas and Chicago remain the leading possibilities for the October 10 showdown, additional details regarding ticket informatio and the undercard are expected to be announced soon.

Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) was founded in August 2021 by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian with a fighter first ethos. Since inception, MVP has produced 30 live boxing events, currently promoting nearly 60 fighters, 16 world champions, and 26 top contenders.

MVP has led boxing’s evolution in the streaming era through partnerships with the world’s leading platforms. In November 2024, MVP’s Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2 was the first-ever live professional sports event streamed on Netflix. Paul vs. Tyson shattered records, becoming the most-streamed sporting event of all time with 125 million live viewers worldwide. MVP went on to partner with Netflix twice in 2025 for MVP’s Taylor vs. Serrano 3 and Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day.

Today, MVP is the global home of women’s boxing. MVP’s Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano in 2022 was the first female fight to headline Madison Square Garden, while Taylor vs. Serrano 2 in 2024 saw 74 million viewers globally on Netflix and became the most-watched professional women’s sports event in US history with 47 million AMA in the US. Their 2025 trilogy on Netflix topped an all-women’s megacard that set the official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the most world championship belts ever contested on a single fight card, male or female, with 17 world titles, earning nearly 6 million viewers globally.

ABOUT GOLDEN BOY: Los Angeles-based Golden Boy was established in 2002 by Oscar De La Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. Golden Boy is a media and entertainment brand committed to making fighting entertainment more accessible and affordable. The company’s in-house production team develops creative original programming, holds the exclusive rights to top boxers, and has promoted some of the biggest and highest-grossing events in the history of the sport. Now, Golden Boy is one of the most successful boxing entertainment companies in the world and shapes the future of boxing for fighters and fans alike.