The pair will headline a Golden Boy and MVP co-promoted show on DAZN at Chicago's Wintrust Arena.

If Bahdi (20-0, 15 KOs) becomes the proverbial first domino to fall, title unification fights against the likes of WBC champion William Zepeda and WBO crownholder Abdullah Mason could follow.

Schofield (19-0, 13 KOs) could also become a potentially desirable opponent for Gervonta Davis, who was stripped of the title in June.

Should Schofield has eyes for a 140-pound move, righting a previous wrong and renegotiating a deal with The Ring and WBO champion Shakur Stevenson should be the move to make.

But none of those scenarios are possible if Schofield doesn't beat Bahdi in a battle between The Ring's No. 7 and No. 8 lightweight contenders.

"Everyone is going to be in for a good show and will be satisfied on Saturday after I knock out Bahdi," Schofield told The Ring. "I think I'm going to win by stoppage. I'm gonna show everybody why I'm here to stay.

"The statement I'm looking to make is to let everybody know at 135 and 140 pounds that I'm here to stay. I'll be a world champion, and need to be respected."

Even after blasting Tevin Farmer inside 80 seconds last time out in June 2025, Schofield still has some respect to earn from the boxing public. This comes after pulling out from a scheduled Stevenson fight four months prior on fight week in a melodramatic saga ultimately billed as an illness.

"Everybody has their own opinions on why the fight didn't happen," Schofield said. "I feel rightfully so; whether it was food poisoning, something else, I deserve that because we didn't get to run it. That's a fight that I really need to have.

"I spent three months away from my newborn son at the time getting ready for that fight, and that's time I can't get back. So I just think for the fight fans, they're going to be begging for it anyway. I'm looking to get that, especially at 140."

If he beats Bahdi, Schofield should have plenty of business to keep him occupied at 135 pounds.

Schofield was ordered as Davis' mandatory in May, but "Tank" is taking his time getting back into the ring due to ongoing legal problems.

"He had to probably handle some stuff," Schofield said regarding Davis, who hasn't fought since a controversial majority draw with Lamont Roach in March 2025.

"I'm not the type of fighter to be like, 'Oh, this fighter's ducking me.' Although it seems that way to me. I just like to be politically correct, and apparently, he had some legal troubles going on. I think, man to man, he should handle that, and the fight will be down there late if he really wants to get his belt back. I'm just glad to have this title shot no matter what, whether it was with Tank or Bahdi. I'm just blessed and grateful to be here."

The 24-year-old Schofield should be best served to stay active and efficiently maneuver around negotiations for title unification fights against Zepeda, who, like Schofield, is signed with Golden Boy, and the Top Rank-aligned Mason.

"Zepeda is the fight I'm looking for next, and if not Zepeda, then Mason or Gary Antuanne Russell. I only want the big guys from here on out now," Schofield said.

"Before I go to 140, I must have the Mason fight. I want to give the fans the fights they want to see. With us being so young, that's a great fight. Maybe years down the line, we could do a rematch and if that fight is good, probably have a trilogy. I think that's a fight that can definitely be made, if everybody agrees on terms.

"I just do whatever Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy tell me to do. But I'm not gonna lie, that fight against Zepeda could be next. I think it would be a great fight because it's an easy unification to make. But you never know. Maybe Oscar might want both of us to go collect those other two belts and have a big undisputed fight."