LAS VEGAS — Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito certainly know what it's liked to be ducked and dodged by the best fighters in their division.

They also know that they'd better take advantage of their precious few opportunities.

A week after Margarito stopped Miguel Cotto for the WBA title in one of the best fights of the year, Clottey captured the vacant IBF welterweight championship Saturday night with a ninth-round unanimous decision over Zab Judah.

Clottey (35-2) connected with a right hand to Judah's left eye in the ninth round that immediately sent blood rushing down his face. Ringside physician Dr. James Game examined Judah, who claimed he couldn't see, and the fight was called at the 1:22 mark.

Clottey was ahead 86-85 on two of the judges' scorecards and 87-84 on the other.

"He really hit with a lot of uppercuts, but I never felt anything," Clottey said. "He never hurt me, trust me. In my boxing life, nobody has hurt me."

The decision left the roughly 1,800 fans in an uproar. The confident Judah, despite being dominated through parts of the earlier rounds, had landed several combinations in the seventh and eighth and seemed to have momentum on his side.

"This just hurts, man. Everyone here knows who won," said Judah, who has struggled to shake the perception that he's never lived up to his potential. "Zab Judah is the peoples' champion."

Game examined Judah after the punch and said the battered fighter failed numerous eye tests. It was initially ruled an accidental head butt, but replays clearly showed Clottey landing a hard right hand.

"He couldn't identify two or three fingers three times," Games said.

It was just the third title shot for Clottey, who lost a bizarre disqualification to Carlos Baldomir in 1999 and a unanimous decision to Margarito two years ago, after Clottey broke both of his hands in a fight he appeared to be dominating.

Clottey has won six straight since then, building up name recognition that could help him land a unification fight with Margarito.

"The promoters are the ones you need to ask," Clottey said of a potential rematch. "Whatever they say I will accept."

It certainly seems like a strong possibility after Margarito's bloody victory over the previously unbeaten Cotto. There's an outside chance that Margarito could fight Oscar De La Hoya in the Golden Boy's farewell bout, but it's more likely that he'll be ducked — again.

"If I fight Antonio again it would be a different story," Clottey said, "because I am a better fighter."

The 30-year-old Judah (36-6) was attempting a comeback after his career was derailed by a string of losses and a one-year suspension by the Nevada Athletic Commission for hitting Floyd Mayweather Jr. under the belt in a 2006 bout that started a melee between the two camps.

He also has a checkered history with Clottey.

Judah claims he sparred with Clottey at the famed Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn several years ago, but Clottey insists it was his brother, Emmanuel, who worked out with Judah. Joshua Clottey also says Judah offered him $2,500 to spar four years ago, but he angrily turned it down in a dispute that spilled into the streets.

When the two finally met in the ring Saturday night, Clottey showed more aggressiveness early. He rocked Judah with an uppercut a few seconds in that caused Judah to lose his balance, and by the end of the round, Judah had blood running down his nose from the relentless jabs that he couldn't fend off.

Judah responded with solid combinations in the middle rounds, the fight turning into an entertaining back-and-forth affair.

One that Judah thinks shouldn't have been stopped.

"I sacrificed myself for this camp and did my best," Judah said. "He thought I was going to break down, but I didn't. I went ahead and did my best."