Filipino boxer Mercito "No Mercy" Gesta will face another tough task in the ring this month.
The Mandaue-born fighter will take on William Zepeda as the main event in the Golden Boy DAZN Card at the Commerce Casino near Los Angeles on Sept. 16.
"[He] is known as a puncher and is a great and undefeated fighter," said Gesta of his Mexican foe. "It excites me to fight someone that is a challenge."
Gesta held his media workout this past week with his promoter, the retired boxer Oscar dela Hoya.
The two-time world title challenger, trained by Marvin Somodio, has become a popular main event draw for the Golden Boy on DAZN telecasts.
In 2022, Gesta defeated Joel Diaz Jr. and scored another upset over JoJo Diaz in April this year.
Once again, the up-and-coming Zepeda is coming into the fight as the favorite.
"I like the challenge," said Gesta. "I never back out from any challenge or any opportunity. That’s the mentality I have in my weight division."
He added: "A great fighter never says no."
While Gesta got his combat sport start as a kickboxer, he never had a lengthy amateur career.
At 35, he believes that there are more battles ahead of him.
"Right now, I feel like everything works good and our training is really good," he said. "I will not stop learning and seeing more techniques."
Gesta has a 34-3-3 record, while Zepeda boasts of a perfect 28-0 record which includes 24 knockouts.
The main event lightweight 12-rounder will be for the WBA Continental America's Belt.