Ricardo Sandoval’s first defense of his unified flyweight titles ended in disaster as Sergio Mendoza Cordova dropped him three times and forced a fifth-round stoppage Saturday night at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

Mendoza (28-1, 24 KOs) took the WBA and WBC belts from Sandoval (27-3, 18 KOs), turning a late replacement appearance into a career-changing victory. Sandoval was supposed to get through this fight and move toward bigger opportunities. Instead, he left with his title plans torn apart.

The warning about Mendoza was there in his record: 23 stoppages from 27 victories entering the fight. His second-round knockout loss to Thanongsak Simsri in April made him look vulnerable, but it did not erase the danger in his punching.

Sandoval had his own success, knocking Mendoza down with a right hook in the second round. That should have given the champion something to build on. Mendoza recovered, however, and Sandoval could not prevent the southpaw from taking over with pressure and heavy shots.

Three knockdowns told the story. This was no narrow defeat that Sandoval could dispute afterward, and the referee’s intervention in the fifth prevented him from taking further punishment.

The loss also changes how Sandoval’s lengthy absence looks. After beating Kenshiro Teraji by split decision in Japan in July 2025, he spent more than a year outside the ring before defending his belts. Whatever the reasons for that delay, his return offered none of the momentum he needed.

Winning two titles had put Sandoval in position to pursue bigger fights. Losing both in his first defense leaves him needing to rebuild, without the championship status that helped make those fights possible.

Mendoza deserves the credit for refusing to let his own knockdown decide the contest. He arrived as an underdog making his U.S. debut, absorbed an early setback and kept attacking. Sandoval had the plans, but Mendoza had the punches to wreck them.

Floyd Schofield faces Lucas Bahdi tonight, October 10, at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. The DAZN broadcast starts at 8 p.m. ET, with Boxing News 24 providing live results throughout the card.

Both fighters passed today’s second-day weight check, Chris Mannix reported. Schofield came in at 143 pounds and Bahdi at 142.8 pounds, ending the uncertainty over whether their main event would proceed following Friday’s weight-limit dispute.

The undercard features Ricardo Sandoval against Sergio Mendoza, Jahmal Harvey against Pedro Castaneda and Jan Paul Rivera against Abraham Perfecto Valdez.

Schofield vs Bahdi: Full Card, Weights and DAZN Fight Times

Main Card

Floyd Schofield (19-0, 13 KOs) vs Lucas Bahdi (20-0, 15 KOs)

The pair contest the vacant WBA lightweight belt over 12 rounds. Schofield hit 135 lbs (61.2 kg) on the scales, with Bahdi at 134 lbs (60.8 kg).

Expected ring walks: 10:35 p.m. ET / 7:35 p.m. PT / 3:35 a.m. BST Sunday.

Ricardo Sandoval (27-2, 18 KOs) vs Sergio Mendoza (27-1, 23 KOs)

Two flyweight belts are at stake in this 12-round WBA and WBC title fight. Sandoval registered 111.6 lbs (50.6 kg); Mendoza came in at 111.4 lbs (50.5 kg).

Estimated start: 9:35 p.m. ET / 6:35 p.m. PT / 2:35 a.m. BST Sunday.

Jahmal Harvey (4-0, 3 KOs) vs. Pedro Castañeda (9-1-1, 5 KOs)

Harvey meets Castañeda over eight rounds at lightweight. They tipped the scales at 134.2 lbs (60.9 kg) and 135 lbs (61.2 kg), respectively.

Estimated start: 8:55 p.m. ET / 5:55 p.m. PT / 1:55 a.m. BST Sunday.

Jan Paul Rivera (16-0, 7 KOs) vs. Abraham Perfecto (14-2, 9 KOs)

Rivera and Perfecto open the main card in a 10-round lightweight contest. Rivera registered 130.2 lbs (59.1 kg), while Perfecto checked in at 131.4 lbs (59.6 kg).

Opening bout: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST Sunday.

Preliminary Card

Tristan Kalkreuth (17-1, 12 KOs) vs Ivan Rosado (12-0, 9 KOs)

Scheduled for 10 rounds at cruiserweight. Kalkreuth came in at 199.2 lbs (90.4 kg), compared with Rosado’s 194.6 lbs (88.3 kg).

Asa Stevens (7-0-1, 2 KOs) vs Cristian Williams (14-0, 8 KOs)

Stevens takes on Williams in an eight-round super featherweight bout. Stevens registered 127.8 lbs (58.0 kg); Williams hit 125.6 lbs (57.0 kg).

Robert Garcia wants Vergil Ortiz Jr. back in the ring, even if that means accepting an opponent who does little to satisfy fans waiting for the Jaron Ennis fight.

Keith Thurman is the likely opponent for Ortiz’s proposed December 5 return on the David Benavidez card. Talks appear promising, though the fight has yet to be finalized. Ortiz is scheduled to begin training camp next week.

“I don’t care whatever people say. I just need Vergil back in,” Garcia said. “He’s been out for a year. … It’s going to be 13 months basically. So, that’s too much.”

That explains the willingness to take Thurman. Garcia’s priority is getting Ortiz through a training camp and into a fight. Looking for someone who offers more prestige could bring another delay, leaving Vergil inactive into next year.

Thurman would give Ortiz a recognizable opponent, but beating him would leave the bigger questions unanswered. Fans want to see Vergil against the strongest fighters around his weight. A return bout can restore activity without delivering that test.

Garcia accepts the criticism. He believes the cost of waiting has become greater than the benefit of holding out for a better opponent.

“If we try to switch up, find somebody else or maybe a bigger fight, a fight that means a little bit more, then it might take longer,” he said.

The same frustration is behind the team’s decision to campaign at 160 pounds. Garcia expects Ennis to pursue Josh Kelly and then potentially Sebastian Fundora, a sequence he believes could leave Ortiz waiting another year.

He understands Ennis’s interest in unification, while maintaining that Vergil would present a harder fight. Ortiz’s team is choosing to move forward rather than keep cutting to 154 for an opportunity Garcia cannot count on.

Getting Ortiz active is a reasonable immediate goal. After that, the urgency needs to extend to finding stronger opposition. Thurman can end the layoff; he cannot replace the fights that made fans eager to see Vergil return.