By Keith Idec

Jarrett Hurd and Erislandy Lara don’t disagree only on how their 154-pound title unification fight was scored.

Lara believes he is entitled to a rematch with Hurd after suffering the third close loss of his career – a 12-round, split-decision defeat Saturday night in Las Vegas. Hurd doesn’t think that’s necessary.

When asked after their fight if he would be willing to fight Lara again, Hurd said, “Nah. I mean, we don’t need it, man. I think I went out there and did what I needed. I made it clear.”

The scorecards indicated Hurd’s victory wasn’t as convincing as the IBF/IBO/WBA champion made it sound.

Two judges, Glenn Feldman and Dave Moretti, scored the fight 114-113 for Hurd only because he knocked down Lara with 37 seconds remaining in their very competitive contest. If Hurd hadn’t dropped Lara with a left hook in the 12th round, Feldman and Moretti, who gave Hurd and Lara six rounds apiece, would’ve had it even on their cards and the fight would’ve resulted in a majority draw.

Judge Burt Clements scored their fight 114-113 for Lara, whom he credited for winning seven of the 12 rounds at The Joint inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

“A hundred percent, I want the rematch,” Lara said in the ring following the fight, according to a translator.

The 27-year-old Hurd (22-0, 15 KOs), of Accokeek, Maryland, is much more interested in another championship unification fight against unbeaten WBC super welterweight champ Jermell Charlo (30-0, 15 KOs) later this year.

The Cuban-born, Houston-based Lara (25-3-2, 14 KOs) has now suffered three close losses during his nine-year pro career. He lobbied for rematches with Canelo Alvarez and Paul Williams, but neither fight faced him again.

Mexico’s Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs) defeated Lara by split decision in July 2014 in Las Vegas. That controversial result caused a lot of debate among fans and media.

Williams (41-2, 27 KOs) won a majority decision over Lara in July 2011 in Atlantic City, but most observers believe Lara won that 12-rounder, non-title fight. Williams was left paralyzed from the waist down from damage to his spinal cord suffered in a motorcycle accident in May 2012.

The southpaw from Aiken, South Carolina, fought just once after facing Lara. Williams won a unanimous decision over Japan’s Nobuhiro Ishida in that February 2012 bout in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.