LAS VEGAS -- Bad boy Zab Judah lifted the WBO 140-pound title from DeMarcus Corley, winning a split decision Saturday night at the Orleans Hotel on the Ricardo Mayorga-Vernon Forrest undercard.

Judah, who improved to 29-1, beat Corley by official scores of 115-112 and 112-115.

"I felt a little rusty with a year off, but I think I had a great fight," said Judah, the former IBF titleholder who attacked referee Jay Nady after he lost to Kostya Tszyu two years ago and sucker-punched Corley at a press conference earlier this year.

Corley (28-2-1), a quiet, classy fighter who has seven children and takes care of seven other kids, was dropped by a looping left from Judah in the third round of their erratic and sometimes sloppy bout.

Judah taunted Corley throughout the 12-round fight and was too fast and just sharp enough to win despite a year of inactivity. Still, Judah did not impress anyone not from Brooklyn because he couldn't sustain his boxing brilliance throughout the fight.

Judah scored a knockdown near the end of the third round, but seemed to let Corley off the hook and back into the fight. Corley gradually worked over Judah, who did more backpedaling and clowning than punching, in rounds 6 through 10 before the now two-time champion re-established control in the crucial latter rounds.

Judah controlled most of the fight by jabbing and moving and making Corley miss with his best punches, but judge Duane Ford, who scored it 115-112 for Corley, must not have liked his showboating. Ford was overruled by judges Chuck Giampa and Michael Pernik, who scored it 115-112 for Judah.

"He kept his composure the whole fight, so I was just taking my time and picking his shots," Judah said after the fight. "I pretty much could see everything he was throwing."

Judah said he might have broken his left hand in the third round, when he scored the knockdown.

"He caught me with one fast punch that knocked me down," Corley said. "I still thought I won, despite the knockdown. I'd love to fight him again, but next time I'd put more pressure on him."

In a untelevised 12-rounder, Vivian Harris unanimously outpointed previously unbeaten Souleymane M'Baye to retain his WBA super lightweight title.

Showcasing the depth of the 140-pound division and how stacked this Don King-promoted card was, Harris outworked M'Baye after dropping him in the second round.

M'Baye landed his share of quick combinations on the inside in the middle rounds, often punctuating them with sneaky lead right hands, before fading in the second half of the bout. When Harris boxed from a distance he generally outworked M'Baye and landed harder punches.

"He had a really awkward style and a lot of foot movement, (but) he never hurt me," a drained Harris said afterward. "I always thought I was winning the fight. I hurt my right hand with a right to his head in the fourth round."