Sports briefs: Juan Manuel Marquez knocks out Manny Pacquiao

boxing • Juan Manuel Marquez knocked Manny Pacquiao out cold with a vicious right hand at the end of the sixth round Saturday night in Las Vegas, putting a ferocious end to the fourth fight between the two boxers.

Pacquiao had been down in the third round but knocked Marquez down in the fifth and the two were exchanging heavy blows in the sixth round before Marquez threw a right hand that flattened Pacquiao face down on the canvas at 2:59 of the sixth round.

The referee waved the fight to an end as Marquez celebrated and the sold-out crowd at the MGM erupted. Pacquiao was down for about two minutes before his handlers managed to get him up.

It was Marquez's first victory against Pacquiao, after a draw and two losses.

Henderson wins main event

MMA • Benson Henderson came home and impressively retained the UFC lightweight championship Saturday night in Seattle during UFC on Fox, unanimously outpointing a flustered Nate Diaz. Henderson controlled the main event from the start, just a few miles from where he grew up in Federal Way. With the partisan crowd chanting Henderson's name throughout the fight, he took a decisive 50-43, 50-45 and 50-45 decision, his second successful title defense.

Prior to the main event, rising Canadian star Rory MacDonald took apart former champion B.J. Penn in a decisive unanimous decision.

U.S. women shut out China

soccer • Carli Lloyd and Sydney Leroux scored in the second half, and the U.S. women's soccer team beat China 2-0 in Detroit to remain unbeaten on its post-Olympic tour. Lloyd broke a scoreless tie in the 50th minute, taking a pass from Tobin Heath near the edge of the penalty area, cutting to her left and beating goalie Zhang Yue to the near post from about 12 yards. Leroux added an insurance goal in the 84th minute.

Alex Morgan was credited with an assist to Leroux to become only the second player in team history to reach at least 20 goals and 20 assists in one year. Mia Hamm was the other, in 1998.

Perry, O'Hair lead Shootout

GOLF • Kenny Perry and Sean O'Hair took a two-stroke lead in the Franklin Templeton Shootout in Naples, Fla., birdieing the final six holes in better-ball play for an 11-under 61.

Perry and O'Hair were 19 under overall, two strokes ahead of first-round leaders Davis Love III and Brandt Snedeker at Tiburon Golf Club. Love and Snedeker had a 65.

The 12 two-man teams will play a scramble Sunday. The winners will split $750,000.

• Australian John Senden took a three-stroke lead in the Australian Open, making an eagle and two birdies in a four-hole stretch on the back nine en route to a 2-under 70. Senden, the 2006 champion, had a three-round total of 7-under 209 in tough, windy conditions at The Lakes in Sydney.

From wire reports