Floyd Schofield captured the vacant WBA lightweight title against Lucas Bahdi on Saturday night, but his uneven performance looked nothing like the explosive first-round finish he produced against Tevin Farmer well over a year ago.

Schofield (20-0, 13 KOs) won a unanimous decision at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, with scores of 116-110, 119-108, and 115-111. Bahdi (20-1, 15 KOs) supplied enough heavy punches and difficult moments to make that 119-108 card look particularly generous.

The long layoff appeared to show in Schofield’s timing and decision-making. His hand speed remained an advantage, but he alternated between sharp boxing and wild attacks that left him available for Bahdi’s counters. Against Farmer, everything ended before those weaknesses could be tested. Bahdi stayed around and kept testing them.

Schofield started well behind his jab, using quick combinations and lateral movement to make Bahdi chase. A third-round left hook sent Bahdi into the ropes for a knockdown, giving Schofield an early cushion.

That success did not lead to a comfortable night. Bahdi’s body punching and heavier shots kept him competitive, and the sixth round became a dangerous firefight. Schofield was badly rocked but answered with his own punches, showing toughness while taking risks he could have avoided.

His better work came when he returned to boxing. Bahdi struggled to cut off the ring consistently, allowing Schofield to score and move before the heavier return shots arrived.

The ninth brought controversy when Schofield’s knee touched the canvas after a Bahdi right hand without a knockdown being called. Bahdi received an official knockdown in the eleventh, although their feet tangled as Schofield went down.

Schofield used movement to negotiate the final round and secure the belt. He deserved credit for surviving the rough stretches, but winning a title should not obscure an untidy return.

Another lengthy absence would hardly help: he needs regular rounds to sharpen his timing and learn when to stop trading.

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.

Cruiserweight Tristan Kalkreuth handed Ivan Rosado his first professional loss in dominant fashion, ending things just 44 seconds into the third round.

From the opening bell of the scheduled ten-rounder, Kalkreuth used his superior height and reach to keep Rosado on the back foot. Rosado never found room to mount an offense as Kalkreuth poured on the pressure, eventually burying his shorter opponent under a heavy offensive barrage.

While Rosado stayed on his feet, he could no longer offer enough defense to satisfy the referee, who stepped in to rescue him and seal a complete blowout victory for the cruiserweight prospect.

Joshua Edwards (8-0, 7 KOs) beat Craig Lewis (15-10-1, 8 KOs) by stoppage when the veteran could not continue at the start of round three in their heavyweight clash. Edwards dictated the action before hurting Lewis with a combination near the end of the second.

Lewis’s injury prevented him from continuing, ending the scheduled eight-round contest after two completed rounds. The 42-year-old Lewis offered little to disrupt the younger fighter’s control. Edwards, a 2024 U.S. Olympian, collected another early finish as he continued his professional run.

Light middleweight Grant Flores (14-0, 10 KOs) stopped Mikey Dahlman (19-3, 17 KOs) in round two of their scheduled eight-round fight. Flores applied pressure early, using his size and power to dictate the action.

A heavy left hook to the liver left Dahlman hurt in the second. Flores immediately followed with a sustained attack, giving Dahlman little opportunity to recover. The referee intervened as the punches continued, ending the fight with Dahlman unable to contain Flores’ assault.

Minimumweight Naomy Valle (16-1, 9 KOs) beat Sheyla Moreno Castillo (5-2-1) by unanimous decision after eight rounds in her professional U.S. debut. The scores were 78-73, 78-72, and 77-74. Valle established her lead with accurate jabs and right hands, including a right in the third that hurt Moreno.

Moreno continued pressing forward and made the closing rounds scrappy, while Valle drew repeated warnings for holding. A point deduction in the eighth failed to undo Valle’s earlier work, leaving her a clear winner on all three cards.