Joel Casamayor pops Diego Corrales with a left hand to the head in the eighth round of Casamayor's split-decision victory Saturday. Photo by K.M. Cannon.

Diego Corrales' week can be summed up in a word: late.

Corrales was too late in his attempt to make the 135-pound weight limit in his WBC lightweight title fight against Joel Casamayor. He was even late to the final news conference Thursday.

But most important, Corrales was late getting untracked in the ring at Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday and it cost him a split-decision loss to Casamayor.

Judge Jerry Roth of Las Vegas had Corrales winning 114-113 thanks to a controversial fifth-round knockdown called by referee Kenny Bayless, which gave Corrales a 10-8 round on Roth's scorecard. The other judges, Adalaide Byrd and Nobuaki Uratani, also gave Corrales the fifth round by 10-8 scores.

But that wasn't enough for Corrales, as the other two judges had Casamayor winning.

Corrales (40-4) was a loser in more ways than one.

Because he failed to make weight Friday, he lost his belt before he ever climbed into the ring Saturday. He also was fined $240,000 by the Nevada Athletic Commission and had to pay Casamayor an additional $100,000 for failing to make 135 pounds.

When all was said and done, Corrales' $1.6 million purse had been reduced to less than $200,000 after taxes, manager and trainer fees and the fines.

Still, Corrales insists he wasn't hurt by the events of the week, including the fight itself.

"I felt fine," Corrales said of both his physical and mental well-being after the fight. "I was fine."

Corrales ultimately entered the ring at 145 1/2 pounds and he actually appeared to get stronger as the fight went on. But he spent most of the early rounds doing little against Casamayor and quickly fell behind.

"I boxed well," Corrales said. "How are you going to win when he's running away?"

Corrales' trainer, Joe Goossen, said it was understandable that his fighter took his time to get going.

"The guy is a slick southpaw," Goossen said of Casamayor, 34-3-1. "It takes half a fight to get to him. But Diego was getting stronger as the fight went on."

Goossen said the attempt to make weight was weird because they reached 140 pounds and could get no lower.

"I was very concerned for his health," Goossen said of Corrales, who Goossen claims went five days without eating. "There's something to be said for not eating for five days and not drinking any water for three.

"What a superhuman guy for him to get in there and go 12 rounds with (Casamayor)."

In the end, Corrales blamed at himself. He admitted he gambled and lost in trying to make the 135-pound limit.

"I overstayed my time (at lightweight). That's it," Corrales said.