Lindolfo Delgado escaped with a controversial victory over Gabriel Gollaz on Saturday night that’ll keep the Mexican contender in line for a junior welterweight title shot.

Gollaz dropped Delgado in the final round and appeared to out-box his countryman in their 12-round IBF 140-pound championship elimination match. Delgado nonetheless won a split decision and remained undefeated on the Rafael Espinoza-Arnold Khegai undercard at Arena Coliseo in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

Judges Miguel Canul and Jonathan Davis scored their competitive fight for Delgado by the same margin, 114-113. Judge Brian Tsukamoto gave Gollaz credit for a 114-113 victory.

Delgado (24-0, 16 KOs), who was consistently listed as a 5-1 favorite, entered their bout ranked third by the IBF and ninth by The Ring. Gollaz (31-5-1, 17 KOs) is the fourth-ranked contender for IBF champ Richardson Hitchins.

His win will likely move Delgado into the unoccupied top spot in the IBF’s junior welterweight rankings and make him Hitchins’ mandatory challenger.

“This was not an easy fight,” Delgado said. “[Gollaz] is a good fighter. He shocked me with a knockdown, but I had a strong desire to get back in there and really win. There were some rounds that he may have won by a little bit, but I won the majority of the rounds.”

A crushing left hook by Gollaz dropped Delgado approximately 20 seconds into the 12th round. Delgado got up quickly, but Gollaz continually landed on him until the final bell rang.

Gollaz rarely missed with right hands and left hooks during the 11th round. Delgado’s defense worsened in those three minutes as he pressed forward with his hands down.

A flush left hook by Gollaz rocked Delgado about a minute into the 10th round. Jabs and right hands by Gollaz prevented Delgado from getting into a rhythm in that round as well.

Gollaz landed back-to-back straight rights in the ninth round. He fought well off his back foot in that round and

A left hook by Delgado, followed by a right hand, got Gollaz’s attention early in the eighth round. Another combination by Delgado knocked Gollaz into the ropes with under 40 seconds on the clock in the eighth.

Delgado built more momentum in the sixth round, when his pressure kept Gollaz on the move. Gollaz landed enough punches to keep Delgado honest, but Delgado was the more effective fighter in those three minutes.

Delgado’s comeback from a slow start continued in a successful fifth round for him. He caught Gollaz with numerous flush punches as the swelling worsened around his right eye.

Delgado drilled Gollaz with a right hand to the side of his head just before the midway mark of the fourth round. Another right by Delgado landed flush a couple seconds prior to the end of the fourth round.

An overhand right by Gollaz landed with about 40 seconds to go in the third round. Gollaz’s counter right caught Delgado just before the third round ended, too.

Gollaz was active and accurate again in the second round, when he gave Delgado few opportunities to catch him with clean punches. His jab was an effective weapon in those three minutes, both to Delgado’s head and body.

Gollaz landed a left hook that knocked Delgado off balance with just over a minute to go in the first round. He snapped Delgado’s head back with a right hand several seconds later as well.

Earlier Saturday night, heavyweight prospect Richard Torrez Jr. battered, bloodied and stopped Tomas Salek in the first round of a scheduled 10-rounder.

The shorter, left-handed Torrez tattooed Salek with various punches until Salek bled so badly from his nose and mouth that a ringside doctor stopped their bout only 2:45 after it began. Salek never went down, but he wasn’t remotely competitive against the aggressive, accurate Torrez.

Torrez – a 2021 Olympic silver medalist from Tulare, California – improved to 14-0 and produced his 12th knockout in this tuneup bout. Czechia’s Salek (23-8, 14 KOs) lost by technical knockout for the second time in his past three fights and the fifth time overall in eight years as a pro.