Schofield Camp Threatens to Pull WBA Title Fight Over Bahdi Weight Dispute
Floyd Schofield's father drew a hard line at 146 pounds for the second-day weight check in Chicago.
Saturday's vacant WBA lightweight title fight between Floyd Schofield and Lucas Bahdi in Chicago nearly fell apart before anyone threw a punch.
According to Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, Schofield's father threatened to pull the fight if Bahdi exceeds 146 pounds at the second-day weight check. Illinois requires fighters in championship bouts to weigh within ten pounds of contract weight on fight day, putting the limit at 145 for this 135-pound fight. But the camps reportedly negotiated different terms.
Per Mannix, Bahdi's side tried to secure a 15-pound allowance that would have permitted him to rehydrate to 150 pounds. They allegedly offered an extra $250,000 per additional pound over the standard limit. Schofield's camp agreed to a 146-pound ceiling but drew a hard line: anything over and the fight was off, per Boxing News 24.
Bahdi's camp pushed back forcefully. A representative called Schofield's version "total bullshit" and told Mannix that Bahdi would weigh 145 or less. It remains unclear whether the Illinois commission formally approved a 146-pound exception or if the figure was strictly an agreement between camps.
The fight is a significant one. Both Schofield and Bahdi have been inactive for most of 2026, but they are coming back with the biggest bout of their careers. The vacant WBA lightweight title is on the line, and Golden Boy Promotions is co-promoting with Most Valuable Promotions on a DAZN card that also features Ricardo Sandoval defending his title on the undercard.
Weight rehydration disputes have become increasingly common in boxing, with fighters pushing the limits of how much they can gain back after making weight. The drama rarely helps sell the fight, but it often reveals the gamesmanship happening behind the scenes. In this case, both sides got loud before the opening bell.
The weight-cut game in boxing has gotten completely out of hand, and this is a perfect example. You have got a 135-pound title fight where one side is trying to negotiate permission to walk in at 150. That is not a lightweight. That is a welterweight who starved himself for one evening.
I appreciate Schofield's camp drawing a line. If the WBA is going to sanction a lightweight title fight, the fighters should actually be lightweights when they step in the ring. Offering $250K per extra pound is creative, I will give Bahdi's team that, but it also tells you they know their guy is going to be significantly bigger than the weight class suggests.
This is the kind of thing commissions need to crack down on. Second-day weight checks exist for a reason: fighter safety. They should be enforced strictly, not turned into a negotiation table.
https://www.boxingnews24.com/2026/10/floyd-schofield-camp-threatens-cancellation-over-bahdi-weight/
