The women’s world championship bout on the Usyk vs Verhoeven card deserves far more attention than undercards typically receive. On May 23, 2026, Mizuki “Mimi” Hiruta makes her seventh WBO World Super Flyweight title defence against Australian challenger Mai Soliman at the Pyramids of Giza. A six-time defending champion against a hard-hitting challenger who has stopped her last three opponents in a row. The stats tell a fascinating story.
| Date | Saturday, May 23, 2026 |
| Venue | Pyramids of Giza, Egypt |
| Division | Super Flyweight / Junior Bantamweight (115 lbs) |
| Scheduled Rounds | 10 |
| Title | WBO World Super Flyweight |
| Ringwalk | 5:00 PM UTC / 1:00 PM EST / 6:00 PM BST |
Mizuki “Mimi” Hiruta is one of the most technically accomplished female champions in the sport. The Japanese fighter enters 10-0 with 2 knockouts — a 20% KO rate that accurately reflects her style: volume, angles, and ring intelligence rather than power. She is the reigning WBO World Super Flyweight champion, making her seventh defence here, and her 10-fight unbeaten record has been built on consistency and technical excellence.
Hiruta’s strengths are her movement, work rate, and championship pedigree. She has been tested over 10 rounds multiple times and knows how to manage fights from the front. Her 20% KO rate is low — she stops fights opportunistically rather than targeting the knockout — but against a challenger coming in on a three-fight stoppage streak, that distinction matters. The Boxing Data round-by-round numbers on her title defences show a fighter who dominates early rounds, accumulates a significant punch count advantage, and then manages the later rounds from distance.
| Hiruta | |
|---|---|
| Record | 10-0 (2 KOs) |
| KO Rate | 20% |
| Age | 27 |
| Nickname | ”Mimi” |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Title | WBO World Super Flyweight (6x defending) |
| Result | Opponent | Method | Rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| W | Gloria Gallardo | UD | 10 |
| W | Yesenia Gomez | UD | 10 |
| W | Alejandra Serrano | UD | 10 |
| W | Maria Elena Maderna | UD | 10 |
| W | Arely Mucino | SD | 10 |
Mai Soliman is the kind of challenger who makes champions nervous. The Australian fighter is 10-1 with 6 knockouts — a 60% KO rate that is three times higher than Hiruta’s — and has stopped her last three opponents in succession. That momentum coming into a world title fight is not to be underestimated.
Soliman’s one defeat came early in her career, and she has since rebuilt with a series of increasingly convincing performances. Her stoppage wins suggest genuine power for a 115 lb fighter, and three consecutive stoppages going into a world title shot is exactly the form a challenger needs. At the Pyramids, against a technically superior but lower-powered champion, Soliman’s blueprint is clear: land big, land early, and don’t let this go to the scorecards.
| Soliman | |
|---|---|
| Record | 10-1 (6 KOs) |
| KO Rate | 60% |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Streak | 3 consecutive stoppages |
| Result | Opponent | Method | Rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| W | Jelena Mrdjenovich | TKO | 7 |
| W | Shannon O’Connell | TKO | 5 |
| W | Kessie Hennessy | KO | 3 |
| W | Daphne Lungu | UD | 10 |
| L | Leonela Yudica | Split Dec | 10 |
| Hiruta | Soliman | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 10-0 | 10-1 |
| KOs | 2 (20%) | 6 (60%) |
| Unbeaten | Yes | No |
| Defences | 6 | — |
| Streak | 10 consecutive wins | 9 consecutive wins |
The headline stat: Soliman’s 60% KO rate against Hiruta’s 20%. In a 10-round fight at 115 lbs, that power differential is the central tactical question. Every time Soliman lands clean, she threatens to change the fight. Every time Hiruta stays disciplined and accumulates rounds, she edges closer to a comfortable points win.
This fight has a clear template: Hiruta wins on points, Soliman wins by stoppage. The question is which path the fight takes.
Hiruta is the more technically accomplished fighter. Her six title defences at this level have built up a toolkit of defensive patterns, distance management skills, and the ability to control a challenger’s aggression without absorbing serious damage. She has not been seriously hurt in her career, and her movement makes clean power shots difficult to land. Against Soliman’s pressure style, expect Hiruta to use lateral movement, work behind the jab, and keep the fight at range.
Soliman’s three consecutive stoppages have come at this level — she is not stopping journeywomen. She has demonstrated she can apply pressure, cut off the ring, and land the finishing shot on a hurt opponent. Against Hiruta, who moves well but does not hit back especially hard, Soliman can afford to walk through some shots to land her own. If she can establish her right hand in the early rounds and make Hiruta hesitate, the dynamics of the fight shift.
The 10-round format (rather than 12) also slightly favours Soliman: less time for Hiruta to accumulate the rounds that make technical champions comfortable.
Hiruta:
Soliman:
Hiruta’s championship credentials and technical skills make her the favourite, and rightly so. Six successful title defences at this level is not achieved by accident — it requires genuine ring intelligence and the ability to solve challengers’ gameplans in real time. Soliman is a dangerous challenger, but Hiruta has not been stopped, has never been comprehensively out-worked, and fights a style that is particularly difficult for pressure fighters to solve.
Prediction: Hiruta via unanimous decision. She will control the fight at range, accumulate a clear punch count advantage, and see off Soliman’s power threat through disciplined movement. Look for a 10-round points win that is clearer than the scorecards might suggest, as Hiruta dominates the later rounds once Soliman’s stoppage momentum has been absorbed.
| Country | Broadcaster | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Sky Sports Box Office | 6:00 PM BST |
| 🇺🇸 United States | ESPN+ PPV | 1:00 PM EST |
| 🌍 International | Various streaming | 5:00 PM UTC |
Hiruta vs Soliman opens one of the greatest boxing cards in recent memory. As the night builds toward the main event — Usyk’s heavyweight title defence against Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids — the undercard delivers at every level. Jack Catterall meets Shakhram Giyasov in a three-belt welterweight unification, Hamzah Sheeraz and Alem Begic clash for the vacant WBO Super Middleweight title, and Frank Sanchez faces Richard Torrez Jr in a heavyweight eliminator with Usyk implications. Do not miss a single fight.
When is Hiruta vs Soliman? Saturday, May 23, 2026. Ringwalk expected at approximately 5:00 PM UTC (6:00 PM BST / 1:00 PM EST).
What title is on the line? The WBO World Super Flyweight (Junior Bantamweight, 115 lbs) title. Hiruta is making her seventh defence.
Why is the fight only 10 rounds? Women’s world title fights at super flyweight are scheduled for 10 rounds under WBO rules.
What is Mai Soliman’s recent form? Soliman has won her last nine fights, with her last three ending inside the distance — she brings a three-fight stoppage streak into the title shot.
How many times has Hiruta defended the WBO title? Hiruta enters this fight having made six successful WBO World Super Flyweight title defences.
How can I watch Hiruta vs Soliman in the UK? The fight is available on Sky Sports Box Office as part of the Usyk vs Verhoeven card.
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