Floyd Schofield III collects WBA lightweight belt in gritty battle with Lucas Bahdi

“Kind of feels like a dream. This is what I’ve been working on since I was 2-years-old – never played soccer, never played football … I wanted to box,” said Schofield III, 20-0, who overcame a homeless youth with his father-trainer. “My dad has a world champion.”

Scoring a third-round knockdown and performing more completely than his 32-year-old foe while enduring a Bahdi knockdown in the 11th, Schofield was the more active, effective fighter in the judges’ eyes.

“He had quick feet. Every time I tried to set and swing, he was gone. I got him a couple times, but he’s game, a warrior,” Bahdi, 20-1, said.

Both fighters took more than a year off from the ring as they awaited the events surrounding the stripping of WBA lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis’ belt for his involvement in a domestic-violence criminal case.

Schofield, of Austin, Texas, went right at Bahdi, effectively jumping into his punches and flashing rapid hand speed that set up a first-round knockout of former 130lbs champion Tevin Farmer in June 2025.

Bahdi’s more calculated approach set up a few early power punches that Schofield handled fine.

Switching to southpaw and bouncing for ideal position, Schofield in the third found Bahdi with a pair of thundering right hands as Bahdi recoiled. Two more rights further hurt Bahdi and he held on.

Seconds later, a left hook to the head by Schofield caught Bahdi as he threw a heavy right, leading to a knockdown for Schofield as Bahdi fell awkwardly, supported only by the ropes.

Bahdi thought a right to the body knocked down Schofield later in the round, but the referee disagreed as the bell rang ending the session.

Schofield delivered a crushing left to Bahdi in the fourth only to see Bahdi reciprocate by rocking Schofield with a left.

Bahdi continued searching for the big shot in the fifth but Schofield outworked him.

A hard left in the sixth by Bahdi revealed both his danger and the quality of Schofield’s chin, and a couple more power shots brought Schofield to rest on the canvas that the referee failed to dock him for.

“I wanted to beat his ass. He hit me with a shot,” Schofield said. “Switching southpaw worked seamlessly. Lucas is a power puncher. He’s got pop, I was embarrassed a bit, but wanted to get it back.”

Schofield reacted by landing more heavy shots on Bahdi, whose right eye reddened, and the Texan’s activity won him the eighth.

Schofield averted a knockdown again in the ninth when a Bahdi right to the top of Schofield’s head caused Schofield’s right knee to touch the canvas but referee Benjamin Rodriguez failed to acknowledge it.

Schofield recovered to hurt Bahdi with rights in the 10th and a doctor inspected the swelling of Bahdi’s eye before the 11th. 

Bahdi then promptly found Schofield with a right to the head while stepping on his right foot to record a knockdown that – flawed as it was – was wrongly deprived earlier.

Under firm orders from his father-trainer to box and avoid another knockdown, Schofield moved fluidly in the 12th, eating a right but still bouncing on his toes at the final bell.

“He boxed, stuck to the gameplan,” Schofield’s father said, reflecting on their tumultuous journey to say, “Honestly, I’m going to go in the room and cry. It was hard, but we made it. We’re no longer homeless. I did my job as a dad.”

Promoter Oscar De La Hoya said if Schofield isn’t obligated to fight former WBA 140lbs champion Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela as a mandatory foe, he will point him to Mexico’s WBC champion Zepeda or WBO champion Mason while OIympic gold medalist Andy Cruz nears becoming the new IBF champion later this year.

“I thought he fought perfectly,” De La Hoya said of Schofield. “We’re excited to unify with anybody.”

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