Mizuki Hiruta is the fighter to beat in the junior bantamweight division, according to one of her co-trainers.
It’s a statement that’s hard to argue against given her current position: Hiruta will face Naomy Cardenas Gomez in a 10-round title fight Friday at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California, in her fifth defense of the WBO 115lbs title.
Hiruta, 8-0 (2 KOs), will be fighting for the third time in 2025, and it will also be her third fight in the United States. Hiruta, from Tokyo, has found a new home in Los Angeles and working with Manny Robles and Edgar Jasso.
“I think she is the one to beat,” Jasso told BoxingScene. “You've got to give respect to all the other champions, but she is the one to beat, if that makes sense.”
Wearing bright pink hair and ring attire best described as costumes, Hiruta, 29, is a titleholder who doesn’t just blend into the background. Incorporating Japanese pop culture into her fights, Hiruta makes a strong impression in the ring one way or another.
“She has a look,” Jasso said. “She can make noise not just because of her skills but because of the way she looks and the outfits she wears. She is very marketable.”
Cardenas, 9-0 (2 KOs), is coming off a big win over Bree Howling. Mexico’s Cardenas won that fight via a split decision to earn this opportunity. Cardenas, 26, is a pressure fighter who uses aggression and volume to exhaust and overwhelm opponents.
Hiruta’s development, Jasso says, gives her the ability to win a technical bout or, if needed, bite down and trade leather.
“You never take away from what she already has,” Jasso said. “She can box, and she can sit there and bang it out if she needs to. She is becoming a more well-rounded fighter.”
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.
