Floyd Schofield Wins WBA Title, Mendoza Stuns Sandoval

Floyd Schofield claimed the vacant WBA lightweight title Saturday night at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, outpointing Lucas Bahdi by unanimous decision in a fight that was closer than the cards suggested. In the co-feature, Sergio Mendoza delivered the night's biggest upset, stopping unified flyweight champion Ricardo Sandoval in the fifth round to walk away with both the WBA and WBC titles.

How Floyd Schofield Beat Lucas Bahdi

Floyd Schofield (20-0, 13 KOs) used his legs and hand speed to win rounds against Lucas Bahdi (20-1, 15 KOs) over 12 rounds, but the Golden Boy Promotions and Most Valuable Promotions card on DAZN produced a scorecard spread that undersold how rough the fight actually got. Judges scored it 116-110, 119-108 and 115-111 for Schofield, yet Bahdi hurt him badly in the sixth round and dropped him with a right hand in the ninth that referee Ben Rodriguez did not rule a knockdown. Rodriguez did credit Bahdi with a knockdown in the 11th, though Bahdi appeared to step on Schofield's foot as the Texan went down, and an earlier third-round knockdown call against Bahdi also drew scrutiny. Schofield stayed on his bike in the 12th to close it out and claim the belt vacated in the division.

Why Sergio Mendoza's Win Over Ricardo Sandoval Is a Massive Upset

Sergio Mendoza (28-1, 24 KOs) stopped Ricardo Sandoval (27-3, 18 KOs) at 0:24 of the fifth round, ending the champion's first title defense and derailing plans for bigger fights that were supposed to follow Sandoval's return from a long layoff. Mendoza dropped Sandoval twice in the final 30 seconds of the second round, and although Sandoval fought back and won the fourth, Mendoza put him down again early in the fifth and referee Mark Nelson stepped in moments later when Sandoval was driven to the ropes. Mendoza now holds the WBA and WBC flyweight titles after coming in as the clear underdog against a fighter considered one of the division's best.

Betting Angle

Schofield's unanimous decision will read clean in the books, but anyone who had him as a heavy favorite to cruise through this fight got a much tougher night than the final scorecards indicate, and that kind of performance tends to soften his number in a rematch or his next lightweight title defense if Bahdi's camp pushes for one. Mendoza stopping Sandoval is the result that moves markets going forward. Sandoval was defending WBA gold for the first time off a lengthy layoff and was expected to handle a step up in competition, so sportsbooks and oddsmakers will need to recalibrate the flyweight picture with Mendoza now holding two belts. Bettors tracking the 115-pound division should expect Mendoza to open as a live favorite in any unification or voluntary defense given how decisively he finished the job.

Elsewhere on the card, unbeaten prospects kept rolling. Jan Paul Rivera improved to 17-0 with a lopsided decision over Abraham Perfecto, Tristan Kalkreuth stopped Ivan Rosado in the third round, Grant Flores remained unbeaten at 14-0 with a body-shot stoppage of Mikey Dahlman, and 2024 U.S. Olympians Jahmal Harvey and Joshua Edwards both picked up early-round stoppages to stay perfect as pros.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who did Floyd Schofield beat to win the WBA lightweight title?

Floyd Schofield beat Lucas Bahdi by unanimous decision over 12 rounds at Wintrust Arena in Chicago to claim the vacant WBA lightweight title.

How did Sergio Mendoza beat Ricardo Sandoval?

Sergio Mendoza stopped Ricardo Sandoval at 0:24 of the fifth round after dropping him three times, capturing the WBA and WBC flyweight titles in the process.

Was Ricardo Sandoval's loss to Sergio Mendoza considered an upset?

Yes, Sergio Mendoza was considered an underdog heading into the fight and his stoppage of unified champion Ricardo Sandoval was regarded as the biggest upset of the card.