Mizuki Hiruta 晝田瑞希 delivered her most complete performance to date, successfully defending her WBO junior bantamweight title for the fifth time with a commanding unanimous decision victory over Naomy Cardenas Gomez at Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California on August 15, 2025. The scores were 100-90, 100-90, and 98-92, all in favor of the Tokyo native who extended her perfect record to 9-0 (2 KOs).
Mizuki Hiruta 晝田瑞希
The 29-year-old southpaw Mizuki Hiruta controlled the fight from the opening bell, utilizing her superior footwork and boxing IQ to keep Cardenas at bay throughout the 10-round contest. Hiruta’s jab served as her primary weapon, establishing distance and preventing the Mexican challenger from implementing her pressure-heavy game plan. The champion caught Cardenas with a notable uppercut in the second round, demonstrating her ability to land clean shots when opportunities presented themselves.
Working under the guidance of trainer Manny Robles in Los Angeles, Hiruta capitalized on Cardenas’ tendency to overextend on her attacks. The champion’s timing was particularly evident as she countered Cardenas’ forward advances with precision strikes. Despite Cardenas entering the bout with an undefeated 9-0 record, she was unable to compete for the title after weighing in at 115.8 pounds, 0.8 pounds over the championship limit.
The Mexican challenger, who had come off an upset victory over previously unbeaten Bree Howling in June, showed her typical aggression but found limited success against Hiruta’s technical approach. Cardenas never took a backward step throughout the fight, maintaining pressure in pursuit of an upset that would have given her a victory but not the championship belt due to her weight miss.
This victory marked Hiruta’s third fight on American soil in 2025, with all three taking place in California. The champion has found success training in Los Angeles after feeling her career had stagnated in Japan, where she had only competed six times in her first three professional years. Her decision to relocate and work with Robles has proven beneficial, as she has remained active and improved her infighting capabilities.
The fight served as the co-main event on a 360 Promotions card that also featured Omar Trinidad’s majority draw against Lorenzo Parra in the main event. The UFC Fight Pass broadcast showcased Hiruta’s continued evolution as both a boxer and performer, with the champion known for incorporating Japanese pop culture elements into her ring entrances and wearing distinctive costumes. This time around she was wearing a Sailor Moon cosplay.
Hiruta’s dominant performance reinforced her position as one of the division’s premier fighters and marked another successful step in her stated goal of becoming Japan’s biggest boxing star, similar to how Shohei Ohtani has captured American baseball fans. The victory sets up potential future matchups as she continues to chase undisputed championship status in the junior bantamweight division.
With this fifth successful title defense, Hiruta has now won 19 consecutive rounds across her last three fights, establishing herself as the fighter to beat in the 115-pound weight class. Her technical improvements under Robles, combined with her natural boxing ability and marketable personality, position her well for bigger opportunities in the competitive junior bantamweight landscape.
