Lightweight Lucas Bahdi will be making a Canadian homecoming headlining Most Valuable Promotions’ first card in Canada.

Bahdi faces undefeated Filipino southpaw Ryan James Racaza in the 10-round main event at Great Canadian Casino Resort in Toronto, Canada

Bahdi, a 31-year-old from Niagara Falls, Canada, shook up the boxing world last summer when he knocked out Ashton Sylve, a top prospect signed to Most Valuable Promotions. Until that point, Bahdi had been waiting for his opportunity to get exposure. This time, he capitalized on it.

The result saw him earning a contract with Most Valuable Promotions. Bahdi, who hails from the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, will start the year with a homecoming fight.

“It gives Canadian fighters a platform to display their talents,” Bahdi told BoxingScene. “It's a great opportunity for Canadian fighters to show what they're about on the big stage.”

The card will feature two notable Canadian fighters: WBA junior flyweight titleholder Sara Bailey, billed as the fastest fighter to ever win a world title in Canadian boxing history, and 2024 Olympic middleweight Tammara Thibeault, who recently signed with Most Valuable Promotions. 

Bahdi’s success is working to give more attention to the fighter from up north.

“MVP continues to show their commitment to growing the sport globally,” Bahdi, 18-0 (15 KOs) said. “I'm fighting in my hometown and I'm headlining, which is incredible. How many Canadians get that opportunity?”

The answer: not many. Bahdi will face Racaza, 15-0 (11 KOs), a 28-year-old Filipino southpaw, who hasn’t fought since December 2023. For this camp, Bahdi spent some of his camp in Las Vegas as he noted that he sparred some of Bob Santos’ fighters. Las Vegas offers elite world-class sparring. For Bahdi, the past year has seen quite the transition as he went from being an unknown fighter who talked a big game, to being ranked No. 7 by the WBA and No. 8 by the IBF.

Now, he has to make the most of the opportunities in front of him. His last fight was a majority decision win over Armando Casamonica on the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson undercard. Now, he is looking to start the year with a bang. 

“MVP got the deal done and now I'm on major platforms for all my fights,” Bahdi said. “I finally got the opportunity that I've been waiting for and now. I will continue to grow my name globally.”

Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.