María Anastasia Juárez Trejo (born 29 January 1980), better known as Mariana Juárez, is a Mexican

professional boxer Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional fights are supervised by a regulatory auth ...

. She is a former two-division world champion, having held the WBC female

flyweight Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing up to and including 51 kg (112 lb) for a title fight. Professional boxing The flyweight division was the last of boxin ...

title from March 2011 to October 2012 and the WBC female

bantamweight Bantamweight is a weight class in combat sports and weightlifting. For boxing, the range is above and up to . In kickboxing, a bantamweight fighter generally weighs between . In mixed martial arts, MMA, bantamweight is . The name for the class ...

title from April 2017 to October 2020.She is the older sister of boxer Lourdes Juárez, also a former world champion.

Professional career

Juárez made her professional debut on 22 May 1998, scoring a second-round knockout victory over Virginia Esparza in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

, Mexico. Already the interim title holder for almost two years, Juárez became full WBC female flyweight World champion when she defeated the previously unbeaten Italian

Simona Galassi Simona Galassi (born 27 June 1972) is an Italian former boxer. As a professional, she competed from 2006 to 2015 and was a world champion in two weight classes, having held the WBC female flyweight title from 2008 to 2011 and the IBF female j ...

on 11 March 2011, at Jose Cuervo Salon, Polanco, Mexico. She successfully defended her title seven times before relinquishing it when she lost to Ava Knight via unanimous decision on 13 October 2012, at Palacio de los Deportes, Mexico City, Mexico. Juárez became a two-weight World champion on 1 April 2017, by securing a unanimous decision victory against Zambia's WBC bantamweight title holder Catherine Phiri at Zócalo, Mexico City, Mexico. She would hold the belt for more than two years, making nine successful defences before dropping the title via unanimous decision to compatriot Yulihan Luna at the Grand Oasis Arena, Cancun, Mexico on 31 October 2020. The contest was marred by controversy as Juarez, who suffered a broken nose in the opening round, interrupted Luna's post-fight interview to accuse the new champion of using doctored gloves. Officials examined the gloves and ruled them fully legal with Juarez later apologising for her outburst. Juárez attempted to become a three-weight World champion on 10 June 2023, challenging WBC super-bantamweight title holder Yamileth Mercado at the Toyota Arena, Ontario, California, USA, but lost by unanimous decision. Back on home soil at Domo Corona del Hipodromo de las Americas, Mexico City, Mexico, Juárez captured the WBC female super-bantamweight Silver title on 26 April 2024, beating South Africa's Matshidiso Mokebisi by technical knockout in round nine.

Professional boxing record

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Juarez, Mariana Living people 1980 births Boxers from Tlaxcala Mexican women boxers Flyweight boxers Super-flyweight boxers Bantamweight boxers World Boxing Council champions 21st-century Mexican sportswomen