INQUIRER Sports

LAS VEGAS ? Unbeaten World Boxing Association featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa outpointed Orlando Salido to take the International Boxing Federation belt here on Saturday.

The Cuban-born, Miami-based Gamboa improved to 19-0 and appears pointed toward a bout with World Boxing Organization champion Juan Manuel Lopez.

"Every time I hit him, Salido would come back and fight," the 28-year-old Gamboa said. "This is the new Gamboa you're going to see - more controlling, less careless."

The three ringside judges unanimously gave the fight to Gamboa by scores of 116-109, 114-109 and 115-109.

Mexico's Salido fell to 34-11-2. Referee Joe Cortez ruled Salido knocked down Gamboa in the eighth round, but replays seemed to show Gamboa slipped.

Gamboa knocked down Salido in the 12th, but was docked to points for hitting while his 29-year-old opponent was down.

Salido would have lost his title no matter the outcome after weighing in on Saturday at 138 pounds after weighing 126 pounds on Friday. Had he won, the title would have become vacant.