Undefeated WBA featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa of Cuba unanimously outpointed Mexico's Orlando Salido to take the IBF crown Saturday in a title unification bout at the Palms Casino.
Gamboa (19-0) had winning scores of 116-109, 114-109 and 115-109 from the judges.
''Every time I hit him, Salido would come back and fight,'' Gamboa said. ''This is the new Gamboa you're going to see — more controlling, less careless.''
Referee Joe Cortez ruled Salido (34-11-2) knocked down Gamboa in the eighth round, but replays indicated the 28-year-old slipped.
Gamboa then knocked down the 29-year old Salido in the 12th. However, Gamboa was deducted two points for hitting while his opponent was down.
In the WBA lightweight title eliminator, Brandon Rios won by disqualification over previously unbeaten Anthony Peterson due to low blows in the seventh round.
Referee Russell Mora ruled Peterson (30-1) threw two illegal punches in the sixth and then another at 2:59 of the seventh.
Rios (25-0-1) was ahead on the three judges' scorecards, 68-62. Rios left to the head knocked down Peterson with 12 seconds left in the fifth. Peterson quickly got up just before the bell ended the round.
By end, Peterson had out punched Rios, 194-189.
In the main event, if Salido had won, he would vacate the IBF title due to weighing in at 138 pounds (62.5 kilograms) on Saturday after coming in at 126 pounds (57 kilogram) on Friday.
But that did not happen as Gamboa out-landed Salido in punches, 260-140. Two judges had Salido winning two rounds with the other having him winning three.
