On February 15, 2003, he came from behind to knock out Tim Austin (25-0-1) to claim the IBF Bantamweight title, in what was considered to be a big upset. Austin had been undefeated in 10 title fights until that loss.
On February 15, 2003, he defeated Tim Austin (25-0-1) by knockout, overcoming an underdog status that made the win a significant surprise. Austin had previously held a perfect record of 10 wins in title fights before this loss.