Mizuki Hiruta to defend WBO junior bantamweight title against Maribel Ramirez on January 17

WBO junior bantamweight, Mizuki Hiruta, will look to make the third defense of her title against Maribel “Pantera” Ramirez. This fight also serves as her U.S. debut and will take place January 17 at the Commerce Casino, in Commerce, California. 

The 10-round title fight will be streamed on UFC Fight Pass, and promoted by 360 Promotions.

Hiruta, 28, has a record of 6-0 (2 KOs) and is now training with Manny Robles, who trains featherweight titleholder Rafael Espinoza and junior middleweight contender Serhii Bohachuk. The Japanese fighter Hiruta won the title in her fourth professional fight against Kanako Taniyama in December 2022. She has made two defenses since then, fighting once in 2023 and once in 2024.  Up until this fight, all of Hiruta’s fights have taken place at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

“Mizuki Hiruta is a true star in Japan with all of her fights taking place in front of tremendous crowds at the famed Korakuen Hall and we’re very excited to have her U.S. debut on our January 17 Hollywood Fight Nights card,” said Tom Loeffler, the promoter of the show. She has a true all-action entertaining style combined with a showbiz flair for her ring walks that our fans will truly appreciate.”

Loeffler has had a history of promoting foreign fighters in the United States whether it was the Klitschko Brothers, Wladimir and Vitali, Gennadiy Golovkin, Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, and now Callum Walsh. 

Hiruta’s opponent, Ramirez, who holds a record of 15-10-4 (3 KOs), enters the fight with two wins and a draw in her last three fights after a split-decision loss to Clara Lescurat in 2022. Ramirez, 28, from Mexico City, Mexico, has gone 211 rounds. Hiruta has gone 37 rounds, despite being the same age.

The card is headlined by featherweight Omar Trinidad facing Mike Plania in a 10-round fight.