INGLEWOOD, CA – JANUARY 27: Jorge Linares (L) of Venezuela connects with a left hand to the head of Mercito Gesta during their bout at The Forum on January 27, 2018 in Inglewood, California. Jeff Gross/Getty Images/AFP
Mercito Gesta gave it his all but just couldn’t dethrone Jorge Linares, failing to claim the WBA lightweight championship Sunday (Manila time) at The Forum in Los Angeles.
The Cebuano challenger lost to the Venezuelan champion via unanimous decision, 118-110, 118-110, and 117-111.
This was Linares’ third successful title defense as he improved to 44-3.
Gesta, meanwhile, dropped to 0-2 in a title fight after also suffering a unanimous decision defeat to Miguel Vazquez in December 2012 for the IBF lightweight belt.
He dropped to a 31-2-2, 17 KOs.