Salido, ranked #1 at featherweight at the time, took on Mikey Garcia on January 19, 2013 at the Madison Square Garden Theater in New York. Garcia dominated the bout from the very beginning, keeping Salido at range with the jab. Garcia knocked Salido down four times early on in the fight, building up a large lead on the scorecards. During the 8th round, Salido accidentally clashed heads with Garcia, causing Garcia's nose to break. The fight was stopped between rounds, with the decision going to the scorecards. Garcia won a wide unanimous decision (79-69, 79-69, 79-70), to win his first world title.