Lemieux captures IBF title with points win over N'Dam

David Lemieux (34-2, 31 KOs) outpointed Hassan N’Dam (31-2, 18 KOs) to capture the vacant IBF middleweight title on Saturday night at the Bell Center in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Canada's Lemieux knocked down Frenchman N'Dam four times en route to winning a unanimous decision by scores of 115-109, 115-109, and 114-110.

Lemieux displayed his punching power throughout the bout, and knocked N'Dam down with a hard left hook in the second round. Then he sent his opponent to the canvas twice in the fifth from that same punch and once again in the seventh from another left hook. But the always durable N'Dam got back up each time and battled back until the final bell.

With the win, Lemieux wins the IBF title that was stripped from American Jermain Taylor, who was unable to defend it due to facing a number of legal issues. Now the 26-year-old Canadian could be set for unification fights with WBA champion Gennady Golovkin or WBC titleholder Miguel Cotto.