Anthony Crolla vs Jorge Linares: Crolla loses WBA world title to classy Linares but rematch looms on horizon

Crolla lost his WBA lightweight title but a second bout with the fiesty Venezuelen looks on the cards

Jorge Linares beat Anthony Crolla by unanimous decision (Getty)

Anthony Crolla's second defence of his WBA lightweight title ended in a unanimous decision defeat as he was convincingly outboxed by classy Venezuelan Jorge Linares in Manchester on Saturday night.

The popular Mancunian had moments of success but, against a simply superior fighter, proved incapable of making the adaptations needed to recover from a losing position.

Victory for Linares, widely considered the world's leading lightweight, appears to have ended hopes of Crolla fighting domestic rival Terry Flanagan. Linares spoke, however, of his willingness to give Crolla a rematch.

The competitive opening rounds did little to encourage the defending champion. His challenger had often appeared vulnerable in the early stages of fights, as he demonstrated when being knocked down by Kevin Mitchell in May 2015 before recovering to win.

Crolla had been expected to pursue him during those early rounds, but instead he chose to repeatedly target Linares' body in an attempt to tire him in preparation for the second half of the fight.

Linares' superior class, speed and accuracy ensured he at least edged the majority of the first five. He hurt Crolla with body shots in the fourth, one of which referee Terry O'Connor considered low, halting the action to allow the champion to recover.

It was in the fifth when Crolla landed a promising right hand that opened a cut by Linares' right eye, but it took until the sixth when the challenger showed his first signs of fatigue. Just when it appeared the action would begin to favour the champion, Linares threw the fight's best punch when he landed a big right.

The injured Crolla was forced to retreat back onto the ropes, where he appeared at threat of being stopped and remained content to survive until the round concluded. Linares had expended significant energy attempting to finish the fight, so the question became whether he had used too much.

Linares rocked Crolla at the end of the sixth round (Getty)

Even with his stamina depleted, however, Linares' greater technique ensured the fight's second half remained competitive, and he prevented Crolla from building the lead his work-rate sought.

His timing and jab continued to impress, even discouraging the champion, and ensured that entering the final two, Crolla appeared to need to win both to stand any chance of earning a decision from the judges.

The Mancunian, bleeding by his left eye, increasingly appeared the fighter who once looked unlikely to progress beyond domestic or European level. He was also fighting one who - even if he had never previously gone 12 rounds - is clearly world-class.

Crolla's career has already been better than many expected, but the final stages of the fight simply confirmed the suspicion that his level had been found. The exchanges he needed to change the fight continued to elude him, and ensured his defeat via scores of 115-114, 117-111, 115-113 on the three judges' scorecards.

The 31-year-old Linares came close to tears when speaking after the fight, and told Sky Sports: "We gave Manchester a beautiful fight, and we can do it again.

Both Linares and Crolla paid tribute to each other and confirmed plans for a rematch (Getty)

"I hurt my hand in the sixth round, I backed off a little bit, worked, did strategy, but told my corner in the 10th 'I'm going to go and close these next three rounds' and I think that's what got me the victory.

"Once my hand heals, I'll go back to the gym, start training, and why not come back to England? Why not come back to Manchester? I love it here. Anthony Crolla deserves a rematch. Why not do it again?"

Crolla's promoter Eddie Hearn insisted a rematch was already agreed, and the lightweight said: "It was a close fight. I've got no complaints. I made a few mistakes, walked onto a few sharp counters.

"He rocked my world, I'm not going to lie. My head's still spinning now. I'm absolutely gutted. It's a pleasure to share the ring with a great like Jorge Linares but I don't celebrate losing, I'm absolutely gutted.

"He's the best I've shared the ring with. I've got to make sure I win a rematch."

Hearn added: "It's not 'Will there be a rematch?'. There will be a rematch, there's already an agreement for a rematch. He will rematch Jorge Linares in Manchester. He will get another shot and he will beat him."