Yamileth Mercado

Professional Career

 

Yamileth Mercado began her professional career on July 19, 2014, with a unanimous decision win over Yoatzin Meraz at the Gimnasio Municipal in Nuevo Casas Grandes, Mexico. Over the next few years, Mercado built a solid record, demonstrating her power and precision with several knockout victories, including a first-round TKO against Karla Valenzuela in March 2015. Her first significant setback came in March 2017, when she faced Jessica Munoz for the vacant WBC FECOMBOX female super bantamweight title and lost by unanimous decision. However, this loss did not deter her. Mercado bounced back with a series of wins, eventually capturing the WBC International female super bantamweight title in February 2019 by defeating Alys Sanchez via unanimous decision.

 

Mercado’s career reached a new height on November 16, 2019, when she won the WBC female super bantamweight title by defeating Fatuma Zarika in a unanimous decision at the Poliforum in Ciudad Cuauhtémoc, Mexico. This victory was particularly sweet as it avenged her split decision loss to Zarika in September 2018. As a champion, Mercado successfully defended her title multiple times, including notable wins against Mariana Juárez in October 2022 and Kudakwashe Chiwandire in March 2023.

 

Despite a setback in August 2021 when she moved up in weight and lost to Amanda Serrano in a bid for the WBC, WBO, and IBO female featherweight titles, Mercado remained dominant in her natural weight class. She continued to defend her WBC super bantamweight title, securing wins over challengers such as Isis Vargas and Linda Laura Lecca.