CARSON, Calif. —  Israel Vazquez dominated the last three rounds to outpoint Rafael Marquez in a split decision Saturday night in their third meeting, a fight that was just as action-filled as the first two.

Vazquez, who bounced back after getting knocked down in the fourth round, retained the WBC super bantamweight title with his second victory in a row over Marquez.

Judge Max De Luca scored it 114-111 for Vazquez, and James Jen Kin had Vazquez winning 113-112. Tom Kaczmarek gave Marquez a 114-111 edge.

Referee Pat Russell had taken a point away from Marquez in the 10th round for hitting below the belt.

The 30-year-old Vazquez, a native of Mexico City who lives in the Los Angeles suburb of Huntington Park, came within seconds of winning by knockout.

His barrages of punches sent Marquez slumping into the corner ropes in the waning seconds, and Russell looked as if he was ready to end it. But Marquez said he could continue, and by the time the two fighters were ready to re-engage, the final bell sounded.

Vazquez had reclaimed the crown in September in their rematch in Hidalgo, Texas. With gashes above both eyes, he still knocked Marquez down in the sixth round of that bout and stopped him at 1:16 of the seventh.

Marquez won their first meeting, also in Carson, last March after he landed a right in the first round that broke Vazquez's nose. Despite having difficulty breathing, Vazquez continued to trade punches, but decided after the seventh round that he could not go on.

Vazquez (43-4, 32 knockouts) weighed the limit of 122 pounds. The 32-year-old Marquez (37-5, 33 knockouts), from Mexico City, weighed 121 1/2.

On the undercard, Jorge Paez Jr. stopped Tomas Barragan in the third round of their scheduled six-round super lightweight bout. Paez, from Mexico, improved to 19-1 with his 11th knockout. Barragan, from Orange, Calif., dropped to 8-3-1.

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