Antonio Pitalua proved again late Friday why he is one of boxing's best finishers.

Pitalua scored a fifth-round technical knockout over Puerto Rico's Wilfredo Negron in the main event of a card at Miccosukee Resort and Gaming. The victory earned Pitalua a regional welterweight title. Pitalua has won 12 regional belts in his 19-year career.

Successfully keeping the fight at close range, Pitalua punished Negron with lead lefts to the head and body.

Late in the third round, Pitalua pressed Negron on the ropes and scored with repeated combinations to the head, opening a cut above Negron's right eye.

Negron could not keep up with Pitalua's punches, and Pitalua found his fight-ending opening midway through the fifth. Pitalua again pinned Negron to the ropes and unleashed a flurry of unanswered combinations to the head.

Referee Frank Santore spared Negron (26-13-1) from additional harm and stopped the fight at 2:09 of the round.

Earlier, Joel Julio, a junior-middleweight contender and Miami resident, won a unanimous decision against journeyman Clarence Taylor (14-23-4), ending a two-fight losing streak.

Julio was the superior fighter, but Taylor withstood the best of Julio's shots and also landed sporadic punches during the six-round bout.

Julio (35-3) won 60-54 on two judges' scorecards and 59-55 on the third. Julio rebounded from consecutive losses against World Boxing Organization champion Sergiy Dzinziruk and James Kirkland.

• In other bouts: welterweight Luis Ortiz won by majority decision over Rocky Alvarez; super middleweight Christopher De La Paz knocked out Dennis Valentin at 1:38 of the second round; lightweight Josenilson Santos scored a TKO over Genier Pit at 1:32 of the first round; welterweight Jose Segura-Torres won by unanimous decision against Robert Dortch; and lightweight William Silva scored a TKO over Elvis Martinez at 2:59 of the first round.

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