Ryan Garcia, the unbeaten and good-looking fighter from Victorville, California, faces an acid test when he meets Filipino two-time world title challenger Mercito Gesta on 28 January in the United States.

Gesta will be the second Filipino boxer Garcia will be locking horns with.

Three years ago in Las Vegas, Garcia, now 24, needed just less than a round to knock out then hot prospect Romero Duno.

Garcia, who has 9 million followers on Instagram, packs a 23-0 record with 19 knockouts.

The Gesta showdown is being eyed as a warmup for Garcia's impending clash with Gervonta Davis, the reigning world champion at super-lightweight.

But Gesta, though already 35, is no pushover.

Armed with a 33-3-3 ledger with 17 knockouts, Gesta moved to the United States from Mandaue, Cebu in 2007.

Two of his losses came at the world championship level and both times the southpaw Gesta lost on points.