LAS VEGAS –  Alberto Palmetta out-landed Yeis Solano just enough in their entertaining, eight-round slugfest to walk away a split-decision winner Saturday night.

Palmetta and Solano traded head and body punches throughout a back-and-forth welterweight fight on the non-televised portion of the Jamal James-Radzhab Butaev undercard at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino’s Michelob ULTRA Arena. Two judges – Tim Cheatham (79-73) and Chris Migliore (78-74) – appreciated Palmetta’s work more than judge Dave Moretti, who scored their fight for Solano (77-75).

Argentina’s Palmetta (17-1, 12 KOs) has won 11 straight fights. Colombia’s Solano (15-2, 10 KOs) has lost back-to-back decisions after winning his first 15 professional fights.

Neither fighter took a step back during the sixth, seventh rounds or eighth rounds, when they traded head shots and body blows. By those final three rounds, there was enough off of Solano’s shots and Palmetta’s punches that they could absorb them without incident.

Palmetta was slightly busier and more accurate in those rounds and two of the scorecards reflected that.

Solano hammered Palmetta with right hands to the body during the fifth round.

Solano and Palmetta continued firing body and head shots at one another throughout the fourth round. Palmetta finally wobbled Solano with a right hook late in that fourth round.

Palmetta landed two left hands that made Solano back up in the final minute of the third round. They continued connecting with head and body shots throughout the third round, yet neither fighter could hurt his opponent.

Palmetta and Solano picked up at the start of the second round right where they left off when the first round ended, throwing hard punches from close distances. Each fighter had his moments in what was a more competitive three minutes than the first round.

Solano and Palmetta traded short shots on the inside throughout the opening round. Solano landed a right hook and shortly thereafter a straight left that impacted Palmetta during the middle minute of the first round.

Earlier Saturday night, David Lopez lived up to his nickname, “The Young Destroyer,” by dropping Lazarus Velasquez twice and stopping him just 1:06 into their four-round welterweight fight.

A left-right combination by Lopez sent Velasquez to the canvas for the second time. Referee Alan Huggins stopped the action as soon as Velasquez went down for the second time.

Las Vegas’ Lopez made his pro debut, as did Velasquez, of McAllen, Texas.

In the first fight on the James-Butaev undercard, Jose Tito Sanchez beat Fernando Garcia by technical decision.

A ringside physician stopped their scheduled six-round featherweight fight in the fifth round due to a cut around Garcia’s right eye. Judges Lisa Giampa and Chris Migliore had Sanchez in front by the same score, 49-46, when their competitive contest was stopped.

Judge Ricardo Ocasio had Sanchez ahead by one point, 48-47, when their fight ended.

Sanchez, of Cathedral City, California, remained unbeaten (8-0, 5 KOs). Garcia, of Monterrey, Mexico, lost for the first time as a pro (2-1, 1 KO).

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.