Capturing the title

Fighting for an eighth time in 2000, the No. 2 ranked Forbes was awarded a shot at the IBF super featherweight title when Diego Corrales vacated the title to fight WBC super featherweight Champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. This allowed Forbes to face No. 1 ranked John Brown for the vacant IBF title. Forbes won the IBF belt on December 3, 2000, by an 8th round TKO of Brown. Forbes also defeated Brown in a September 29, 2001, rematch, his first title defense. On August 18, 2002, he lost the title when he could not make weight for a fight against David Santos, whom Forbes had previously beaten for the USBA belt. The IBF title remained vacant until Forbes fought Carlos Hernández for it on October 14, 2003, a fight that Forbes lost by unanimous decision when the bout was stopped in the 10th round, due to an accidental headbutt, giving the belt to Hernandez.

The Contender

On the ESPN reality show "Contender Season 2" series debut, Forbes was chosen to be on the Gold Team. He was the favorite to win the show, by virtue of his previous success, and was the last fighter to be called out. Forbes won his first three bouts of the series, defeating Freddy Curiel, Nick Acevedo, and Cornelius Bundrage, but he lost to Grady Brewer in the final match.^[1]

After The Contender

On March 17, 2007 he lost a disputed, controversial decision to Demetrius Hopkins, Bernard Hopkins' nephew.

On October 6, 2007, Forbes won a split-decision upset over Francisco Bojado in a junior welterweight bout.

Forbes was defeated by Oscar De La Hoya on May 3 in Carson, California at the Home Depot Center by unanimous decision.^[2]