DAZN Saturday Night Fights! Golden Boy Presents Schofield vs. Bahdi Chicago Card
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
*Robert’s Prediction Record: 152-40-9, with 7-4 in major bouts
Chicago, Illinois (October 9th, 2026)– Golden Boy Promotions and DAZN will present a nine-bout card with two world title bouts on Saturday Night Fights at Wintrust Arena, Chicago, Illinois, on Friday, October 9, 2026. Floyd ‘Kid Austin’ Schofield will fight Lucas Bahdi for the vacant World Boxing Association World Lightweight title, and Ricardo Rafael Sandoval will defend the World Boxing Council World Flyweight title against long-named challenger Sergio Alfonzo Mendoza Cordova.
Schofield, 19-0 with 13 knockouts, Austin, Texas, is predicted by this reporter to win the vacant WBA Lightweight title previously held by Gervonta Davis by knockout over Bahdi, 20-0 with 15 knockouts, Niagara Falls, Canada.
Current odds have Schofield to win by 8 to 1 on DraftKings. The money line spread for Schofield is -1000 to -1200, while Bahdi is +580 to +620 to win as the underdog. Schofield, 5’7″, inactive since June 2025, will have to overcome ring rust to display his superior foot movement, ring generalship, and multi-punch combinations with sharp angles while working from the outside, while outworking his opponent on the overall punches landed.
Bahdi, inactive for over a year, taller than Schofield at 5’9″, is a hard-hitting, move-forward pressure fighter, with patience, durability and power, whose footwork tends to be mechanical. Bahdi can be hit cleanly. Bahdi is a precise counterpuncher who works on the inside, leaving himself vulnerable to getting knocked down while instigating inside exchanges and toe-to-toe firefights. Bahdi will attempt to take the bout into the later rounds and look for a stoppage win, if he can back Schofield up and keep the pressure on.
According to Schofield in the pre-fight hype, “I would find it hard to believe he (Bahdi) thinks he’s a more skillful fighter than me, or a better fighter than me. If so, then he’s crazy.” This bout, however, is one class of opponent above anybody Schofield has faced in his career, and his first true bout and test at the world-class level.
Robert Brizel Wintrust Arena Chicago Golden Boy Promotions DAZN Undercard Predictions:
In the preliminary bout to the main event, 27-2 World Boxing Council World Flyweight champion Ricardo Rafael Sandoval of Rialto, California, in his first titular defense, is predicted to retain his world title by knockout over 27-1 challenger Sergio Cordova of Hermosillo, Mexico.
16-0 super featherweight Jan Paul Rivera-Pizarro of Salinas, Puerto Rico, is predicted to win by knockout over 14-2 Abraham Perfecto Valdez of Teclate, Mexico.
17-1 heavyweight Tristan Kalkreuth of North Las Vegas, Nevada, is predicted to win by knockout over 12-0 Ivan Rosado of Puerto Rico.
13-0 middleweight Grant Flores Jr. is predicted to win by 10-round decision over Mikey Dahlman of Lowell, Indiana, by way of Chicago Heights.
4-0 2024 Olympian lightweight Jahmal Harvey of Oxon Hill, Maryland is predicted to win by eight rounds decision over 9-1-1 Pedro Castaneda Castro of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
7-0-1 Hawaiian featherweight southpaw Asa Stevens is predicted to win by eight-round decision over 14-0 Cristian Williams of Chicago, Illinois.
15-1 San Jose, Costa Rica, female light flyweight Naomi Valle is predicted to win by eight-round decision over Mexico City’s 5-1-1 Sheyla Moreno Castillo, two-minute rounds.
In the opening bout, 7-0 Houston, Texas heavyweight prospect Joshua ‘The Rocket’ Edwards is predicted to win by TKO over 15-9-1 veteran Craig Lewis of Detroit, Michigan.
FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES AND PHOTOS
SCHOFIELD VS. BAHDI
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10 – LIVE FROM WINTRUST ARENA IN CHICAGO, IL AND BROADCAST WORLDWIDE ON DAZN
Tickets still on Sale!
Click HERE for Photos | Password: SchofieldBahdi2026
Click HERE to Rewatch the Livestream
Mandatory Credit: Golden Boy Promotions
CHICAGO (Oct. 8, 2026) — Golden Boy Promotions and Most Valuable Promotions hosted a final press conference today at Wind Creek Chicago Southland ahead of the scheduled WBA Lightweight World Championship showdown between undefeated lightweight contenders Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield III (19-0, 13 KOs) and “Prince” Lucas Bahdi (20-0, 15 KOs). The 12-round main event takes place Saturday, October 10, live worldwide on DAZN from Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. Golden Boy Promotions presents the event in co-promotion with Most Valuable Promotions (MVP).
In the co-main event, Unified WBA and WBC World Champion Ricardo “El Niño” Sandoval (27-2, 18 KOs) of Rialto, Calif., will make the first defense of his unified titles against Sergio “Yoreme” Mendoza (27-1, 23 KOs) of Hermosillo, Mex.
Rounding out the DAZN broadcast, MVP’s U.S. Olympian Jahmal Harvey (4-0, 3 KOs) of Oxon Hill, Maryland, will compete in an eight-round lightweight fight at 135lbs against Pedro Castro (9-1-1, 5 KOs) of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. In a 10-round super featherweight fight at 130lbs, MVP’s and Salinas, Puerto Rico’s undefeated Jan Paul Rivera (16-0, 7 KOs) will face Tecate, Mexico’s Abraham Valdez(14-2, 9 KOs).
On the preliminary card, which will stream live on the Golden Boy YouTube channel and sponsored by Scotch Porter, Tristan “Sweet T” Kalkreuth (17-1, 12 KOs) will face San Juan, Puerto Rico’s undefeated Ivan Rosado (12-0, 9 KOs) in a 10-round cruiserweight contest. In an eight-round super bantamweight match, Waianae, Hawaii’s Asa Stevens (7-0-1, 2 KOs) will face Chicago’s hometown hero Cristian Williams (14-0, 8 KOs). Undefeated U.S. Olympian Joshua “The Rocket” Edwards (7-0, 6 KOs) of Houston, Texas, will face Detroit, Michigan’s Craig Lewis (15-9-1, 8 KOs) in an eight-round heavyweight bout.Thermal, Calif.’s undefeated Grant Flores (13-0, 9 KOs) will take on Chicago’s Mikey Dahlman (19-2, 17 KOs) in a 10-round middleweight fight. Also joining the card, MVP’s rising contender Naomy Valle (15-1, 9 KOs) from San Jose, Costa Rica returns to the ring to face Sheyla Moreno (5-1-1, 1 KO) from Mexico City in an eight-round flyweight bout.
Here is what today’s participants of the main broadcast had to say:
OSCAR DE LA HOYA, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS:
“I promised the Chicago fans that we would be back. It’s a beautiful city. We love being here. A great fight town historically. We want to continue that tradition and make sure that boxing stays alive and that it is healthy here in Chicago.”
“I think this matchup is going to be one for the ages. It’s going to be one of those fights where you’re going to know exactly where you were the night of the fight when it happened 10 years from now.”
“I strongly feel it’s going to be one of those fight of the year candidates. Both guys are hungry. Both guys are undefeated. Somebody’s always got to go. When you have fights like that with talent like these guys, it’s a can’t-miss action type fight.”
“The best have to fight the best. That’s the bottom line. We believe in boxing. If you want to see the great fights, you have to fight the very best. We don’t take the easy fights.”
BRITTON HARDIN, HEAD OF U.S. BOXING, DAZN:
“First and foremost, I’m from Chicago. So thank you, Oscar, for bringing big-time boxing back to the city.”
“I’m extremely excited that Golden Boy, MVP and DAZN can come together and make this one happen for the city. It’s huge, and the city’s been asking for a big fight.”
“These two men are going to fight for an opportunity to etch their names in the history books of lightweight boxing. It’s a very exciting weight class. It’s a very exciting lineage of fighters.”
FLOYD SCHOFIELD III, LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD TITLE CONTENDER:
“This fight is for my pops. 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.”
“I think Lucas Bahdi is a good fighter. And Saturday night, he’s going to have to show me what his team is cheering for.”
“My life changes a lot. Not only for me, but for my team and my family. That’s what I’m fighting for. I got a lot of people riding on this fight. So Saturday night, this fight is for them. It’s not just about me.”
LUCAS BAHDI, MVP’S LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD TITLE CONTENDER:
“The top two guys in the division are going to war. This is what it’s about, and I’m ready.”
“I’m very proud to be Canadian. I wear that flag on my back when I enter the ring. That was all part of the journey. Now here we are. We’re fighting for the world title, and I’m ready.”
“This is always what I’ve seen in myself. I belong here, and I’m going to show the world Saturday.”
RICARDO SANDOVAL, UNIFIED WBA & WBC FLYWEIGHT CHAMPION:
“Sergio Mendoza is an elite fighter. He’s strong, he’s focused, he’s hungry as well. It’s going to be a tough fight, but I’m 100% ready for that.”
“This is really special. This is something that I always wanted, defending my titles in front of my family. My mom just flying for the first time in a plane and having that experience is something that I always dreamed of.”
SERGIO MENDOZA, FLYWEIGHT WORLD TITLE CONTENDER:
“This is a big fight for me.”
“Of course, on my side, it will be [a war].”
JAHMAL HARVEY, MVP’S US OLYMPIAN AND RISING LIGHTWEIGHT:
“That goal [of becoming a world champion and winning a belt] could start tomorrow. For real. I’m ready whenever.”
“They’re going to see an action-packed fight. A lot of punches on my behalf. I bring the fight. I don’t believe in boring fights. I’m going to make a fight happen.”
“[Representing the US in the Olympics] was one of the greatest achievements of my life. Just walking out, getting all the camaraderie from everybody, fans that came to fly in from all over the US and on social media.”
JAN PAUL RIVERA: MVP’S SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT CONTENDER:
“I’m happy to be here in Chicago and you’re going to see the power that I have.”
“I am a fighter that has everything. It depends on what the opponent has for me, but I am a complete fighter.”
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