Lucas Bahdi made the next leap toward a title opportunity with his win on Friday night, but it wasn’t without a test.

Bahdi won a unanimous decision over Ryan Racaza at the Great Canadian Casino Resort in Toronto, Canada. The scores were 99-90, 96-93, and 97-92 for Bahdi.

Bahdi, 18-0 (15 KOs), fighting for the first time in Canada since signing with Most Valuable Promotions, found himself fighting two hours away from his hometown of Niagara Falls, Ontario. Bahdi, a 31-year-old lightweight, burst onto the scene last summer when he knocked out a highly touted prospect Ashton Sylve. Bahdi entered the fight ranked No. 7 by the WBA, and No. 8 by the IBF, with his rankings looking to improve after tonight’s performance. 

Racaza, a 28-year-old from Caloocan City, Philippines, was the first southpaw that Bahdi has faced as a pro.

Bahdi, known as a patient counterpuncher, started slow. Racaza, 15-0 (11 KOs), stayed poised on the outside while looking to land counter punches, which translated to not a lot happening in the first three rounds. Bahdi continued to land more, but by the fifth round, Racaza became more aggressive, having his best round of the fight. 

By the sixth round, the fight was close. Bahdi landed a right hand followed by a left hook clean on Racaza’s chin, though he remained unbothered by the shot. A left hook from Bahdi, a glancing blow that first grazed Racaza’s shoulder, dropped Racaza in the seventh round. Bahdi continued to apply pressure in the following rounds after gaining momentum from the knockdown. In the final seconds, Bahdi landed an eye-catching right hand. Both fighters embraced after the final bell, showing respect to one another.

Bahdi picked up some helpful experience against a lefty, as three of the four titleholders in the lightweight division are southpaws. Racaza, though losing for the first fight in his career, made a name for himself with his performance. 

“He was a great fighter, another undefeated fighter added to my resume,” Bahdi said after the fight. “I didn't get what I wanted tonight, the knockout like, of course, but I think I got what I needed tonight. Got the experience, and I learned a lot in there. So this is just the foundation to get to the world title fights. Everyone knows I'm coming for the world titles.”

When asked if there was a fighter he’d like to target next, Bahdi wasn’t picky. 

“Anyone in the top 10,” Bahdi said. “It doesn’t matter to me.”