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ASSOCIATED PRESS
World Boxing champion Manny Pacquiao
ASSOCIATED PRESS
New IBF Junior Flyweight champion Brian Viloria of the Philippines raises his belt in suburban Quezon City, north of Manila, Philippines on Sunday April 19, 2009. Viloria won the crown after knocking down Ulises Solis of Mexico on the 11th round. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Juan Francisco Estrada handed Brian Viloria his first loss in seven fights, winning a split decision to become the new WBO and WBA flyweight champion on Saturday at the CotaiArena in Macau, China.
Two judges scored the fight for Estrada (23-2, 18 KOs) by scores of 117-111 and 116-111. A third judge had Viloria winning 115-113.
The Star-Advertiser scored the fight 116-112 in favor of Estrada.
Estrada was bleeding from the nose and from a cut above one of his eyes in the seventh round when he began to take over the fight.
Viloria, 32, started to swell over his right eye in the ninth round.
Viloria (32-4, 19 KOs) had successfully defended his WBO belt three straight times by TKO and unified the WBA tite in his last fight with a win over Hernan Marquez.
He is now 8-4 in world title fights.
The fight was Viloria’s first televised bout on the HBO network.
