NEUBRANDENBURG, Germany (AP) — Sebastian Sylvester captured the vacant IBF middleweight title with a split decision over Giovanni Lorenzo tonight.

Judge Pawel Kardyni scored it 116-112 and Alfred Asaro scored it 115-113 for Sylvester, a 29-year-old German who'd lost his only other title fight to Felix Sturm last year. Judge Valerie Dorsett scored the fight 116-111 for Lorenzo.

Sylvester (32-3) started strong in the first two rounds before Lorenzo (27-2) won the middle rounds. Sylvester wound up landing more punches in the final rounds to win the close decision and the IBF title that Arthur Abraham vacated when he moved to super middleweight.

Lorenzo, who was born in the Dominican Republic and fights out of New York City, lost for the second time in his last three fights.