Mercito Gesta got up from a third-round knockdown to outwork, out-maneuver and out-point fellow lightweight fringe contender Gilberto Gonzalez in the 10-round co-feature to a “Golden Boy on ESPN” show on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Gesta (30-1-2, 16 knockouts), a 31-year-old former title challenger based in San Diego, won by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 96-93. The Philippines-born southpaw frustrated his much taller, rangier and harder-punching opponent with his lateral movement, hand speed and fluid jab.

Gesta, who trained with Freddie Roach for this fight, also proved to have a solid chin. Gonzalez (26-4, 22 KOs), a near-six-foot switch-hitter from Mexico City, stunned Gesta with a big uppercut in Round 2 and put the off-balance Filipino down in Round 3 with another uppercut, but he was unable to cut the ring off on his busier, constantly moving rival enough to win rounds after those moments.

As Gonzalez, whose nose bled for most of the fight, gamely stalked Gesta but his left eye was badly swollen from all the jabs he absorbed by the end of the bout. Gesta’s ability to pot shot on the fly proved to be too difficult a style for the rangy puncher, who was able to force some fierce exchanges during the late rounds but was unable to hurt or take control of the fight.