William Zepeda-Mercito Gesta Set For September 16
Unbeaten Mexican lightweight contender William Zepeda (28-0, 24 KOs) will face veteran Mercito Gesta (34-3-3, 17 KOs) on September 16. The fight is headlining an event at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, California. Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions is staging the card and DAZN will broadcast the event around the world.
Zepeda last fought in April this year when he took on Jaime Arboleda. He dropped Arboleda three times in the second en route to a knockout victory in round two. He now headlines another event against a much more experienced opponent.
“I am very excited to be back in the ring in September, especially on such an important date for my country and for Mexican boxing,” said Zepeda, referring to Mexican Independence Day which falls on September 16. “I know it will be another great fight for the México vs. Philippines rivalry.”
Gesta returned to the win column with a unanimous decision over Joel Diaz Jr. early in 2022. He followed that up with a split decision victory against Joseph “JoJo” Diaz Jr. in March this year. After emerging as the victor of Diaz-Gesta, he now looks to continue his winning streak against Zepeda.
“On September 16th, I can’t wait to get back in the ring against a tough fighter in William Zepeda,” said Gesta. “William is a rising star in our sport, and I’m honored to share the ring with him. The Mexico vs. Philippines rivalry will be action packed every round. To all my ‘No Mercy’ and boxing fans in the Philippines and around the world, don’t miss out on this great event. See you soon!”
Unified world title action on Zepeda-Gesta undercard
Unified minimumweight champion Yokasta Valle (28-2, 9 KOs) will also appear on the card. She defends her WBO and IBF titles for the second time this year against Maria Santizo (11-3, 6 KOs). For Valle, the bout represents her second time defending her unified status following a unanimous decision win over Thi Thu Nhi Nguyen in September last year. Santizo previously took on Seniesa Estrada for the WBA minimumweight title but lost via fourth round knockout in the process.
The 3 division and 5 x World Champion, Yokasta Valle, puts her IBF and WBO titles on the line 🆚 Guatemala’s own, Maria Santizo on the #ZepedaGesta undercard! 👊💢 #ValleSantizo will be featured on the DAZN portion of the broadcast September 16th! pic.twitter.com/tyTVAEXUnV
— Golden Boy (@GoldenBoyBoxing) August 29, 2023
Currently writing out of Toronto, Canada, Saadeq first became a boxing fan while living in Doha, Qatar. Looking to become more involved in the sport, he began writing about boxing and has had work published in outlets such as Seconds Out and Boxing Social. He looks forward to continue covering boxing on Big Fight Weekend.
