Gary Antuanne Russell vs Andy Hiraoka Preview Feb. 21st 2026
WBA Junior Welterweight Champion Gary Antuanne Russell of Capitol Heights, Maryland is set to defend his belt against unbeaten Andy Hiraoka of Japan this Saturday, February 21st. The 12-rounder between the two southpaws will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada on the undercard of the Mario Barrios vs Ryan Garcia fight and can be seen live on DAZN pay-per-view in most nations. Russell won the title in his last outing in March when he beat Jose Valenzuela by a wide unanimous decision. In his previous fight in June, Russell dropped a 12-round split decision to Alberto Puello for the Interim WBC Title. Hiraoka’s last contest resulted in a ninth-round TKO over Ismael Barroso in September, 2024.
Russell vs Hiraoka Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Andy Hiraoka +219
- Gary Antuanne Russell -295
My Pick
Russell is now 29 years old and is one of the fighting Russell brothers who are all named Gary. He owns a fine record of 18-1 with 17 wins coming by way of stoppage for a winning knockout ratio of 94.4 per cent. That power has resulted in just 70 rounds of experience under his belt since making his pro debut in 2017. Before that he enjoyed a fine amateur career as he boxed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and lost in the quarterfinals in the light welterweight division. Russell stands 5-feet-10-inches tall with a wingspan of 69 inches and has gone past the sixth round just three times as a pro.
The first time was against Viktor Postol in February, 2022 when he stopped him in the 10th round. He then went the distance twice in a row as he dropped a split decision to Albert Puello and then rebounded with the unanimous nod over Jose Valenzuela in his last outing. Russell has eight first-round knockouts, three in the second, two in the third, one in the fourth and two in the sixth round. He took a step up in class against former world champions Postol and Rances Barthelemy and passed those tests impressively but struggled against Puello. He’s also beaten the likes of Wilmer Rodriguez, Marcos Mojica, Luis Leal, Juan Huertas and Jovanie Santiago.
Hiraoka is also 29 years of age and makes the ring walk with a perfect mark of 24-0 with 19 Ko’s and has 123 rounds of pro experience to his name since making his pro debut in 2013 as a teenager. He measures just over 5-feet-11-inches tall with a 74-inch reach for a 1.5-inch height advantage over Russell as well as a five-inch edge in reach. As far as power is concerned, Hiraoka is also well above average as his current knockout ratio clocks in at 79.2 per cent and he’s stopped his last 10 opponents.
Since turning pro Hiraoka has captured the Japanese Youth Super Lightweight Title, the vacant WBO Asia Pacific and Japanese Super Lightweight Belts and has defended the WBO Crown four times. There’s no doubt he possesses a lot of skill and power but he’s never really been tested on the elite level and will be taking a step up in class this Tuesday. He’s fought outside of Japan just twice and has faced mainly domestic level opponents. However he did stop former world champion Jin Sasaki in the 11th round in 2021.
Prediction…
Russell and Hiraoka both carry plenty of power and could change the course of a fight with just one punch but Russell has the decided edge in the skills department and has faced tougher opposition as a pro. Hiraoka has the edge in reach and should give Russell some anxious moments if he connects flush on the chin. I’m leaning towards Russell though because he has just as much power, a solid chin and could also outbox the challenger.
I’m leaning towards Russell’s skills and power.
Play: Russell -295 @ BetOnline.ag
Check out my recent boxing betting picks to see my current form.
Andy Hiroaka betting • Gary Antuanne Russell betting