Cebuano Gesta to face Mexican foe

World-ranked  Filipino lightweight sensation Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (21W-0L-1D, 10KOs) of Mandaue City, Cebu will face Jorge “El Tigre” Pimentel of Guaymas, Mexico (22W-11L-1D,17KOs) instead of the previously reported Francisco  “El Ahogado”  Lorenzo of the Dominican Republic on July 9 (July 10 Philippine time) in the undercard of the Brandon Rios vs. Urbano Antillon WBA lightweight championship bout.

Lorenzo was reported to have problems securing a visa.

The 23-year-old Gesta is ranked No. 2 in the world by the World Boxing Organization (WBO). He is based in San Diego, California and has been campaigning in the United States since 2007.

The 31-year-old Pimentel is a former WBC Fecombox light welterweight titlist and a former Mexico light welterweight champ. But he has lost his last two fights by stoppage to Alberto Mosquera of Panama and Rosbel Montoya of Mexico.

The fight will be Gesta’s debut under Bob Arum’s Top Rank Promotions. The unbeaten Filipino southpaw won the NABO Youth lightweight title in four rounds over Oscar Meza of Mexico in Tampa, Florida last year.

In the card’s main event, Brandon Rios (27W-0L, 19KOs) will be making the first defense of his title against Urbano Antillon (28W-2L, 20KOs), who failed in his previous two attempts to win a world crown.

The fight card will be held at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.