Ema Kozin vs Cecilia Braekhus Preview October 4th, 2025
The WBC/WBO Junior Middleweight Titles are up for grabs this Saturday, October 4th when former world champion Cecilia Braekhus of Colombia challenges reigning champion Ema Kozin of Slovenia. The 10-rounder takes place from Brakehus’ adopted homeland of Norway. Kozin last saw action almost two years ago when she won the vacant WBC and WBO Titles by edging Hanna Rankin by a 10-round split decision. Braekhus last fought in August, 2024 when she beat Maricela Cornejo by 10 round unanimous decision to capture the WBC Interim Junior Middleweight Belt. This is being billed as the final pro fight for Braekhus.
Kozin vs Braekhus Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Ema Kozin +269
- Cecilia Braekhus -375
My Pick
The 26-year-old Kozin is a southpaw who enters the ring with a fine mark of 24-1-1 with 12 Ko’s and has boxed 164 rounds since making her pro debut in 2016 as a teenager. As an amateur she fought in the 2013 and 2014 Nation’s Women’s Cup as well as the 2013 AIBA Women’s World Youth Championships. She has exceptional power for the women’s division as 50 per cent of her wins have come by stoppage but she has halted just four of her last 13 opponents.
Kozin won the vacant WBF World, and WBC International Middleweight Titles in 2017 with a 10-round unanimous decision over Florence Muthoni and added the vacant WIBA Middleweight Belt in her next outing the same year by stopping Dora Tollar in the third round. In 2018 Kozin added the vacant Global Boxing Council Middleweight Crown with a fifth-round KO over Eva Bajic. She battled Irais Hernandez to a 10-round draw in 2018 for the vacant WBC Silver, and the WBF World Super Middleweight Belts.
She then met Hernandez in a rematch just a month later and beat her by unanimous decision for the vacant WIBA Super Middleweight Crown and then beat Sanna Turunen by unanimous decision for the vacant WBF Super Middleweight Belt. When Kozin beat Maria Lindberg by unanimous decision in 2019 she added the vacant WIBF, IBA, and Global Boxing Union Super Middleweight belts. Kozin challenged Claressa Shields for her IBF and WBC Middleweight Titles in 2022 but suffered her lone defeat as she lost all 10 rounds on every scorecard.
Kozin then dropped down to junior middleweight and stopped Szilvia Szabados in the seventh round for the vacant WBF World Title and beat Hanna Rankin in her last outing for the vacant WBC and WBO versions. Unfortunately there’s no reach information for Kozin but she reportedly measures just over 5-feet-8-inches tall, to give her an inch edge in height on Braekhus.
Braekhus is now 44 years old. She was born in Colombia and adopted by Norwegian parents as a youngster and grew up in Bergen. She enjoyed a successful kickboxing career before trying her hand at boxing and racked up an amateur record mark of 75-5, winning a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships, gold at the 2005 European Championships and silver at the 2004 European Championships. She then turned pro in 2007, has boxed 330 rounds and owns a record of 38-2-1 with 9 Ko’s.
Braekhus stands just over 5-feet-7-inches tall with a 67-inch reach. As far as power goes, just 23.7 per cent of her wins have come by stoppage and she’s gone the distance in her last nine bouts with her last win by stoppage coming back in 2017 when she halted Mikaela Lauren in the sixth round. She won her first world titles in 2009 when she beat Vinni Skovgaard for the vacant WBA and WBC Welterweight Titles. The next belt added was the vacant WBO Welterweight version with a unanimous decision over Victoria Cisneros in 2010.
Braekhus defended those titles numerous times and then captured the IBF version with a unanimous decision over Ivana Habazin in 2014. The IBO belt was next via a unanimous decision over Chris Namus in 2016. She made several more defences but then lost all five welterweight belts when she dropped a majority decision to Jessica McCaskill in August, 2020. Braekhus attempted to regain the titles in a rematch seven months later but this time lost by unanimous decision. In total, Braekhus was the undisputed women’s Welterweight Boss from 2014 to 2020.
Prediction…
There’s no doubt, Braekhus is or was one of the best female boxers out there with Jessica McCaskill being the only woman to beat her. However, she’s now 44 years old and lacks power. Kozin is 18 years younger and possesses quite a bit more power. Braekhus has won just two of her last five fights to go with a draw and two defeats but will be highly motivated here as she’s fighting at home in her farewell bout. She’ll need to rely on her boxing skills and also hope Kozin is a little rusty after being out of ring for two years. Braekhus will definitely have her hands full and this could go either way but she may have just enough left in the tank to pull out a close decision here.
Braekhus has the experience for a final victory.
Play: Braekhus -375 @ BetOnline.ag
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Cecilia Braekhus betting • Ema Kozin betting