WBO female super flyweight world champion Mizuki Hiruta, (6-0, 2 KOs) is set to make her U.S. debut tonight as she will be defending her title against Mexican veteran Maribel ‘Pantera’ Ramirez, (15-10-4, 3 KOs) of Mexico City at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, California. Hiruta vs. Ramirez will be the 360 Promotions Hollywood Fight Nights co-feature which will be headlined by local featherweight Omar Trinidad of Boyle Heights, California vs. Mike Plania of the Philippines live on UFC Fight Pass.
“I’m so excited for this fight. I want to give a good performance in my first fight here in America,” Mizuki Hiruta told FightNews.com “I want to thank my team, coach Manny and Tom Loeffler. I promise to give a good fight,”
“We have Mizuka Hiruta defending her title in the co main event. She is a major force, we are excited to have her on the card,” 360 Promotions Promoter Tom Loeffler told FightNews.com “She is the female version of Inoue, you’ll see,”
A member of Japan’s military, the Japan Self Defense Force (JSDF), Hiruta won her first world title by winning a unanimous decision over Kanako Taniyama in December of 2022 to win the vacant WBO super flyweight title.
“She is a member of the military. This is the reason she fights with so much discipline, but the Japanese style is all about discipline and technique,” Hiruta’s trainer Manny Robles told FightNews.com
Following her first world title victory, Hiruta teamed up with respected trainer Manny Robles who has led Andy Ruiz Jr. and Oscar Valdez to their first world titles. The duo has had a total of four camps together as they wrapped up preparation.
“When I first came to the gym here in the U.S and experienced the American fighters and sparring. The punches were so strong, but I was really looking forward to the challenges and differences. Boxing here and in Japan the way of training differs but I’m adapting well,” Mizuka on training in the United States. “Everything is going great with coach Manny, he has really helped me and the preparation for this fight has been great,” Hiruta added.
“She is ready, the preparation was good, everything, her sparring. You will see,” Manny Robles on the training camp.
Since becoming world champion and joining forces with Robles, Hiruta has defended her title twice as she made her first successful defense by scoring a first-round knockout over WBO mandatory Casey Croft back in 2023. Hiruta disposed of Croft in 63 seconds in scoring four knockdowns in the process.
The knockout surpassed fellow Japanese boxing superstar super bantamweight world champion Naoya “The Monster” Inoue’s 70 second knockout of Juan Carlos Payano back in 2018. After watching Mizuka’s workout and technique last week in the gym, the similarities are there between the two champions Mizuki Hiruta and Naoya Inoue.
“She is very explosive and fights like Inoue, sharp, fast, strong punches,” Robles said.
“She is a women Inoue, style, and everything. She will be victorious and impressive,” Publicist Yuriko Miyata told FightNews.com
Coming off a sixth-round knockout over Korea’s Ji Hyun Park, the Japanese sensation Hiruta made a bold statement in her last fight. Now she gets set to make the third defense of her title and looks to impress for the first time in American soil.
Her opponent tonight, Ramirez has been in with some of the top names Mariana “La Barbie” Juarez, Esmeralda Moreno, Zulina Munoz, Naoka Fujioka, and Clara Lescurat. Most recently she scored two wins over Australia’s Michelle Preston catapulting her to the title fight against Hiruta.
“She is very tough, aggressive, and throws a lot of punches. I am expecting the best from her, she has a lot of experience, but I am ready for her,” Hiruta on her challenger Ramirez.
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