Linares: I'd Love To Face Mikey Garcia in Las Vegas, LA, Anywhere

This past Saturday night in Manchester, Venezuela’s Jorge Linares retained his WBA lightweight title Saturday with a unanimous points decision against Anthony Crolla in their rematch.

Linares had Crolla on the canvas in the seventh round but the British fighter showed great determination and grit to last the 12-round distance. Linares was declared the winner 118-109 on all three of the judges’ scorecards.

The Venezuelan multi-division world champion also beat 30-year-old Crolla at the same venue in September and now has a record of 42 wins against just three losses.

Now Linares is focused on landing the major fights and WBC lightweight champion Mikey Garcia (36-0, 30 KOs) is at the top of his list.

Garcia captured the title in January with a sensational three round knockout of Dejan Zlaticanin. Following Linares' performance, Garcia immediately called him out for a summer unification.

Linares held the WBC title, but it was stripped away by the sanctioned body after an injury prevented him from making a mandatory defense against Zlaticanin, who ultimately won the vacant belt and then lost it to Garcia.

Linares still holds the recognition of WBC "champion in recess" - which gives him the ability to face the full WBC champion, who would be Garcia, at any moment in time.

Garcia hopes to get that fight done for the summer, but he's willing to wait until the fall if Linares needs more time to get ready.

"Right now Mikey is in the division. He's a respected boxer, unbeaten, the regular World Boxing Council champion. I would love to fight with him.I know he also wants to fight me. It would be a pretty interesting fight to see him in the ring in Las Vegas, Los Angeles or anywhere... I would love it. I'm already prepared to take the big fights in the United States," Linares stated.