Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield Wins Vacant WBA Lightweight Title Over Lucas Bahdi
Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield is the new WBA Lightweight World Champion after defeating Lucas Bahdi by decision at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.
The 12-round contest for the vacant belt took place on October 10 and streamed live on DAZN as the main event of a Golden Boy Promotions card co-promoted with Most Valuable Promotions. Schofield entered with a 19-0 record while Bahdi stood at 20-0.
Both fighters had waited through months of uncertainty after the WBA placed former champion Gervonta Davis in “champion in recess” status earlier this year.
Schofield, the WBA’s top-ranked contender, controlled stretches of the fight with quicker hands and movement while Bahdi pressed forward looking for power shots. An official knockdown in the 11th round narrowed the score, but Schofield responded in the final round to secure the victory.
Unofficial tallies had the bout at 114-112 in his favor as the judges’ cards confirmed the result and the new champion.
The win fulfills a goal Schofield had spoken about in the lead-up.
“This fight is for my pops,” he said before the bout. “At the end of the day, he sacrificed his whole life for me just to be in this position. So I got a lot to prove Saturday.” His previous outing had come in June 2025 when he stopped former titleholder Tevin Farmer in the opening round.
Bahdi, ranked second by the WBA, had built his undefeated record with several stoppages, including a notable knockout of Ashton Sylve in 2024.
He told reporters ahead of the fight that the top two fighters in the division were set to go to war and that he was ready. The Canadian now absorbs the first loss of his professional career.
The lightweight division has long carried a deep history of champions, and Schofield’s name now joins that list as the primary WBA titleholder at 135 pounds.
Davis remains in recess while other belts in the division sit with different holders, leaving potential unification paths open depending on future matchmaking.
Schofield’s path to this opportunity included a first-round statement win over Farmer after an earlier illness forced him out of a scheduled bout with another top contender. The Chicago result now places him at the front of the WBA’s lightweight picture with a world title on his resume.
With the belt secured, Schofield can look toward mandatory defenses or cross-promotional talks with other 135-pound champions.
Bahdi will return to the contender ranks with the experience of a 12-round title fight against a ranked opponent. The vacant title is no longer open, and the lightweight picture gains a new champion who waited through the process to earn the opportunity.
