LAS VEGAS – Nahir Albright sabotaged Karlos Balderas’ comeback Friday night.

Though clearly the B side in their eight-round lightweight fight, Albright beat Balderas by majority decision and produced the biggest win of his career on the Seniesa Estrada-Leonela Yudica undercard at Palms Casino Resort’s Pearl Theater. Judge Chris Migliore scored their very competitive contest a draw (76-76), but judges Lisa Giampa (77-75) and Dave Moretti (77-75) scored five rounds apiece for Albright.

The 27-year-old Albright (16-2, 7 KOs), of Sicklerville, New Jersey, has won back-to-back bouts on points since Jamaine Ortiz outpointed him unanimously in their 10-rounder in February 2022. Balderas (14-2, 12 KOs), a 2016 Olympian from Santa Maria, California, entered the ring as a slight favorite, according to most sportsbooks.

Balderas, 26, had won five straight fights after Rene Tellez Giron knocked him out in the sixth round of their November 2019 fight at Toyota Arena in Ontario, California.

Their back-and-forth fight appeared up for grabs entering the eighth and final round.

Balderas nailed Albright with a left hook to the body that landed with a minute remaining in their fight, but Albright landed his fair share of clean punches during the final three minutes.

A right-left combination by Balderas got Albright’s attention in the sixth round. Balderas caught Albright with a left uppercut about 30 seconds later that made Albright move away from him.

Albright caught Balderas with a right hand with about 1:10 on the clock in the fifth round.

Balderas drilled Albright with a right hand about 1:05 into the fourth round. Albright’s right connected approximately 40 seconds into the fourth round.

Balderas’ straight right knocked Albright backward with just under 40 seconds on the clock in the third round.

A left hook by Albright made Balderas reset his feet with less than 10 seconds to go in the second round. Albright got great extension on a right hand that landed a few seconds after the midway mark of the second round.

Albright worked well off his jab for most of the first round, but Balderas landed a left hook and the a stiff jab as Albright retreated with less than 25 seconds to go in the opening round.

In the previous fight Friday night, Dominican junior welterweight prospect Rohan Polanco stopped Cesar Francis early in the fifth round of a fight scheduled for eight rounds.

Polanco (10-0, 6 KOs) dropped Francis once late in the fourth round and again early in the fifth round, both times with left-right combinations. The Panamanian-born, Brooklyn-based Francis (12-2, 7 KOs) got up from the second knockdown, but his cornermen instructed referee Robert Hoyle to halt the action at 1:05 of the fifth round.

Francis lost by knockout for the first time in 14 professional fights.

Subaru Murata kept his perfect record intact Friday.

The Japanese southpaw dropped Juan Centeno in the third and beat him by technical knockout. Their scheduled six-round junior featherweight fight ended when referee Raul Caiz Jr. and a ringside physician determined that Centeno shouldn’t continue following a one-sided fourth round.

Tokyo’s Murata improved to 5-0 and recorded his fifth knockout. Nicaragua’s Centeno (8-9-1, 1 KO) has lost three fights in a row.

Before he continued to batter Centeno during the fourth round, Murata landed a left uppercut that made Centeno step back and take a knee with 1:07 to go in the third round. Centeno got up at the count of seven and made it to the end of the round.

In the previous bout, 21-year-old super middleweight prospect Dante Benjamin settled for a six-round majority draw with Willie Langston.

Judge Ricardo Ocasio scored their competitive fight for Langston (58-56), but he was overruled by judges Dave Moretti (57-57) and Patricia Morse Jarman (57-57).

Cleveland’s Benjamin (7-0-1, 5 KOs) had knocked out each of his three previous opponents within three rounds. Langston, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, slipped to 8-3-1 (5 KOs).

Prior to their draw, lightweight prospect Charlie Sheehy knocked out Kaylyn Alfred in the third round of their scheduled six-rounder.

Sheehy (7-0, 5 KOs), of Brisbane, California, knocked Alfred to the canvas with a left hook early in the third round. Alfred (4-5-2), of Lafayette, Louisiana, got up, but referee Robert Hoyle waved an end to the action 31 seconds into the third round.

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