Gervonta Davis was stripped of his WBA lightweight title in January, as external issues lead to prolonged inactivity, with one fight to his name since June 2024. Finally, months after the WBA made that decision, there will be a contest to crown a new champion.
Davis was named as the champion-in-recess at the beginning of the year, with the WBA #1 and #2, Floyd Schofield and Lucas Bahdi, expected to collide in April to determine a new titleholder and then be mandated to take on ‘Tank’ in a first defence, should he wish to challenge for the belt.
However, the rumoured return of the Baltimore knockout artist seemed to cancel those plans, as reports of a vacant title clash between ‘Tank’ and Schofield emerged, only to then be knocked back once again due to legal issues that have forced Davis to remain sidelined.
Instead, the WBA re-ordered a bout between ‘Kid Austin’ and Bahdi and purse bids were scheduled to take place on Tuesday, August 11, until the WBA granted a one-week extension to the negotiation period.
Now, Schofield’s manager, Michael Miller, has informed Ring Magazine that Golden Boy Promotions and Most Valuable Promotions have reached an agreement, with the WBA lightweight world title contest set to take place on Saturday, October 10, likely in Las Vegas.
“The fight will take place on October 10 and we are 99% sure it will be in Las Vegas,”
“We are thankful for the opportunity to fight for a title. It’s something we’ve been waiting on for years.”
The confusion regarding the title bout has hampered the activity of both men throughout 2026, with Schofield having not fought since his first-round demolition of Tevin Farmer in June 2025 and not since November 2024 prior to that.
Meanwhile, Canada’s Bahdi last appeared in August 2025 in a unanimous-decision triumph over Roger Gutierrez, stepping through the ropes to take on Schofield off the back of 14 months of inactivity.
As for Davis, his return date still remains unclear after not competing since his March 2025 draw with Lamont Roach, having been linked to the likes of Devin Haney and Isaac Cruz in recent months.
