Panama City, Panama -- (Sports Network) - Venezuelan Jorge Linares captured the vacant WBA super featherweight title on Friday by scoring a fifth-round technical knockout of hometown favorite Whyber Garcia.

Linares (26-0, 17 KOs), coming off an eighth-round KO of Gamaliel Diaz last December, powered his way to victory with the bout stopped at the 1:08 mark of round five.

Garcia (20-6, 14 KOs) scored a fifth-round TKO of Armando Rojas in his last fight, in August.