SAN ANTONIO -- Leonard Dorin outpointed Raul Balbi to win the WBA world lightweight title on Saturday night.

Dorin, of Romania, rebounded from a bloody nose in the fifth round and got stronger during the 12-round fight to improve to 20-0. Judge Duane Ford scored it 114-113, and Dale Van Hoy 115-112 in favor of Dorin, while Ray Hawkins scored it 115-112 in favor of Balbi (48-5-1). Balbi, of Argentina, looked to be in control early when he cut both of Dorin's eyes in the fourth round. Dorin's nose also was bloodied in the next round, but he wouldn't go down.

Both fighters stood toe-to-toe the whole night, trading punches to the head and body.

"I didn't win the fight?" a surprised Balbi asked when the decision was announced. "I was robbed."

In another fight, "Jesse" James Leija outpointed "Irish" Micky Ward after the fight was stopped in the fifth round by referee Laurence Coles, who ruled Leija couldn't continue because of a severe cut.

In technical decisions after the fifth round, the decision is determined by the judges' scorecards. Van Hoy scored it 48-47, and Hawkins 49-46 for Leija, while Ford scored it 48-47 for Ward.

Coles stopped it on the advice ringside doctor Ruben Cordonado. Leija was injured by an apparent head butt in the first round.

"It was an extensive laceration that involved the entire eyebrow," Cordonado said. "I felt James should not go on."

Leija improved to 43-5-2, while Ward dropped to 37-11.

"I don't feel either of us should be declared the winner," Leija said. "The fight was just getting started."

Leija was cut above his right eye early in the first round. The fight was stopped in the second as the doctor checked it, but allowed Leija to continue.

"I don't think it was right," Ward said. "I had a feeling it might stop. I thought it was a technical draw. I think highly of James. Maybe it should have been no contest."