Iglesias defends IBF title, Schofield and Bahdi fight for Tank Davis's old WBA belt in big boxing week

It is a busy few days for combat sports fans. Cuban knockout artist Osleys Iglesias makes the first defence of his IBF super-middleweight title in Quebec City on Thursday (8 October, US time), unbeaten lightweights Floyd Schofield and Lucas Bahdi fight for the vacant WBA belt in Chicago on Saturday, and the UFC returns to Las Vegas the same night with Brendan Allen against Christian Leroy Duncan.

For viewers in Malaysia, the main boxing cards fall on Friday and Sunday mornings.

Iglesias vs Zaren: a first IBF defence

Iglesias (15-0, 14 KOs), a 28-year-old from Havana who is based in Montreal, became IBF champion in April when Pavel Silyagin's corner stopped their fight after eight rounds. He also holds the IBO title and has stopped his last eight opponents.

His challenger is Denmark's Oliver Zaren (19-0-1, 8 KOs), 26, who is ranked fifth by the IBF and is trained by former world champion Mikkel Kessler. Zaren is the less proven puncher, but he arrives unbeaten and openly confident about his chances.

The card at Theatre Capitole also features 21-year-old Wilkens Mathieu against Vladimir Shishkin, the man Iglesias beat to become the IBF's mandatory challenger.

Schofield vs Bahdi: Tank Davis's old belt on the line

The WBA lightweight title became vacant after the organisation moved Gervonta "Tank" Davis to "champion in recess" status in June following his long spell of inactivity. That opened the door for its top two contenders.

Floyd Schofield (19-0, 13 KOs), 23, from New Jersey, is ranked first by the WBA. He last fought in mid-2025, when he knocked out Tevin Farmer in the first round, and later pulled out of a planned November bout with Joseph Diaz through injury. That means a layoff of around 16 months coming into Saturday.

Canada's Lucas Bahdi (20-0, 15 KOs), 32, is ranked second. He won unanimous decisions over Roger Gutierrez and Ryan James Racaza in 2025.

Between them the pair have 39 wins, 28 inside the distance, and no defeats. Schofield has already said he wants to face William Zepeda next if he wins. The fight takes place at Wintrust Arena, and the undercard includes Ricardo Sandoval defending his WBC and WBA flyweight titles against Sergio Mendoza.

UFC Vegas: Allen vs Duncan

At the Meta Apex, middleweights Brendan Allen and England's Christian Leroy Duncan headline a 12-fight card. The co-main event pits Brazil's Matheus Camilo against England's Jai Herbert at lightweight.

The main card also includes Lupita Godinez against Ketlen Souza at strawweight, Andre Fili against Kai Kamaka III at featherweight, and veteran Gerald Meerschaert against Julius Walker at light heavyweight. One late change has already been made: Artur Minev withdrew from a lightweight bout and was replaced by Ismael Bonfim.

Malaysian viewing times

• Iglesias vs Zaren card (DAZN): from 6.30am, Friday 9 October
• Schofield vs Bahdi card (DAZN): from 8am, Sunday 11 October
• UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Duncan: Sunday 11 October, Malaysian morning

Main events typically start several hours after the listed card start times. The UFC's own start times had not been confirmed in the sources checked.

Key takeaways

• Osleys Iglesias (15-0) defends the IBF and IBO super-middleweight titles against unbeaten Dane Oliver Zaren in Quebec City.
• Floyd Schofield and Lucas Bahdi, both unbeaten, fight for the WBA lightweight title vacated by Gervonta Davis's move to "champion in recess".
• Ricardo Sandoval defends his WBC and WBA flyweight titles on the Chicago undercard.
• Brendan Allen meets Christian Leroy Duncan in the UFC main event at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas.

FAQ

Who is Osleys Iglesias fighting? He defends his IBF and IBO super-middleweight titles against Oliver Zaren of Denmark on 8 October in Quebec City.

Why is the WBA lightweight title vacant? The WBA moved Gervonta Davis to "champion in recess" status in June after a long period of inactivity, and designated Schofield and Bahdi to fight for the belt.

What time is Schofield vs Bahdi in Malaysia? The DAZN card starts at 8am Malaysian time on Sunday, 11 October, with the main event expected later in the morning.

Sources: Boxing247, Yahoo Sports, FightMag, Boxing Lookout, BoxingNews24, Fightnews