LAS VEGAS, MGM GRAND - In the second of two world title fights on the pay-per-view undercard, Roman "Rocky" Martinez (29-2-3, 17 KOs) retained his WBO Junior Lightweight title with a thrilling 12-round majority draw in a rematch against four-time world champion Orlando "Siri" Salido (42-13-3, 29 KOs).

Picking up where they left off when they fought in a Fight of the Year candidate last April, won by Martinez, both fighters exchanged punches for 36 minutes of ferocious action. Each went down in the third round. At the end of a slugfest, in which more than 1,700 punches were thrown, one judge scored it for Martinez (115-113), one had Salido (115-113) in front and the other called it even (114-114).

Both Martinez and Salido thought they should have got the decision and are in favor of a third fight.



"I definitely won the fight,'' said Martinez, who was making the first defense in his third stint as WBO Junior Lightweight World Champion. "They counted a knockdown that wasn't really a knockdown.

"He threw a lot of punches but most of them didn't connect, they landed on my arms. Anywhere you want that third fight between us, I will take it."

Said Salido, a two-time featherweight world champion who was the aggressor throughout and delivered more than 1,000 punches, "I did all the work and I thought I won the fight. I thought the first couple of rounds were even but then I took control of the fight afterwards.

"I was definitely looking for the championship. As you all saw I threw more of the punches and I thought I won the fight.

"I dedicated so much for this fight, for them to take it away from me is not fair. Definitely, I am ready for a third fight."