Zahir Raheem beat favored Erik Morales by unanimous decision Saturday night in a 12-round WBC lightweight bout at Staples Center.

The loss was Morales' third in a 12-year career.

Fighting for the first time in the 135-pound class, Morales was supposed to be tuning up for a January rematch with Manny Pacquiao, who knocked out Hector Velazquez earlier on the card.

But the 29-year-old from Tijuana, Mexico, looked sluggish and ineffective from the start as Raheem, a 1996 Olympian from Philadelphia, kept the pro-Morales crowd of 10,584 in its seats.

After close and cautious early rounds, Raheem staggered Morales in the fifth, making him stumble with a right hand to the head. Morales came back late in the round and dropped his hands, taunting Raheem.

Morales began taunting Raheem again as the fight stayed close into the 11th round. He threw and landed several right hand leads in the round, nearly flooring Raheem once. It was the only round Morales won on all three scorecards as Raheem returned to win the 12th round.

Raheem had a tougher time with the canvas than with Morales much of the night, slipping and falling five times in the fight.

The judged scored the bout 118-110, 116-112 and 115-113 in favor or Rahee, who improved to 27-1 with 16 knockouts. The 28-year-old weighed in at 133 pounds.

It was the first time Morales had lost to anyone other than Marco Antonio Barrera, who beat him in 2002 and '04. Morales weighed 134 pounds and his record falls to 48-3 with 34 knockouts.

Morales is still pointing to the rematch with Pacquiao, whom he beat on March 19.

Earlier, Pacquiao stopped Hector Velazquez by technical knockout in the sixth round of a scheduled 12-round super featherweight bout.

Pacquiao, 28, of Kibawe, Phillipines, trapped Velazquez against the ropes three times in the sixth round, finally bringing him to his knees in the final second.

The referee began the count, and Velazquez slowly stood up but could not continue and the fight was stopped.

Pacquiao won the final three rounds on all three judges' scorecards. When the fight was stopped he was ahead 49-46, 48-47 and 49-46. He improved to 40-3-2 with 31 knockouts. Velazquez, 28, of Tijuana, Mexico, dropped to 42-11-2 with 31 knockouts. Both fighters weighed 130 pounds.