Julio Diaz lines up another title shot

Julio Diaz won a 12-round unanimous decision victory over Ricky Quiles at the Hard Rock Live Arena in Hollywood, Fla. on Thursday evening and claimed the IBF interim lightweight title in the process.

The three judges on this pay-per-view card scored the fight 120-108, 119-109 and 118-110.

“This feels even better than the first because I proved to myself this is where I belong,” Diaz said. “There’s no doubt I’m a true champion.”

The Mexican-born Diaz (33-3) gave up the title in Feb. 2005 to challenge then WBC lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo. Castillo knocked Diaz out in the 10th round.

Diaz, age 26, handled the southpaw Puerto Rican Quiles (39-7-3) from the get-go. Quiles, age 36, landed some straight lefts early on, but otherwise he was often in backpedal mode, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

(Email news tips to Michael Woods at Fightwrite@gmail.com)