The internet is known to have a particular interest in women, and sports, and games, and achievements. Put those together, the blend can create virality.
Every once in a while, a fighter emerges who turns heads not just with victories, but with presence. For 23-year-old Mona Kimura, that moment is now.
The former amateur boxer who represented Japan at the 2022 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, Kimura has transitioned into the professional kickboxing world with extraordinary speed and impact.
At the most recent event, Krush 177 held on June 27, 2025 at the legendary Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Kimura delivered another emphatic performance: defeating veteran Satoko Ozawa via second-round TKO when the referee stepped in at 1:08 of round two.
By now undefeated at 3-0 in her professional kickboxing career, Kimura is rapidly staking a claim as one of the most exciting rising stars in Japanese women’s combat sports.
And what stands out about Kimura is the synthesis of disciplines.
From her southpaw stance, honed boxing fundamentals, and a karate/taekwondo-inspired kicking arsenal give her a unique edge.
Observers have noted how her rapid side-kicks seem to echo the "Hyakuretsukyaku" (Hundred Rending Kicks) of Chun-Li from Street Fighter. And her move captivates so much that her fans online now call her the “real-life Chun-Li”.
Against Ozawa, Kimura wasted no time.
In the first round she established the distance with crisp front kicks and side kicks, peppered straight punches and body hooks, opening up a cut on Ozawa’s right cheek. Despite the veteran’s forward pressure, Kimura remained in control, calm, precise, and ruthless.
The pattern continued into the second: left straights and side kicks tore through defenses; the cut around Ozawa’s right eye worsened; a doctor’s check couldn’t stem the tide; and a hard left straight triggered the stoppage.
While she's definitely a righty, and that she most often use her right leg for both offense and defense. For her opponents, at least they know which of her legs they must anticipate the most. But still, it's the speed, power, and precision can made her unstoppable.
Kimura doesn’t just throw kicks. She literally paints with them.
And if her opponent is too close for her kicks, she switched her legs with punches, which still deliver brutal blows. As the opponent steps back to create distance, Kimura returns with her trademark kicks. In other words, the ring is her playground
In her post-fight remarks, Kimura framed the win as more than just another victory: “I think you all saw the strength of the ‘Mona World.’ I was able to show my straight punches and kicks, and I feel I’ve evolved a little more. I’d like to fight for a belt soon…” she said, pointing to Krush producer Mitsuru Miyata and signaling her ambition.
Rapper 50 Cent is a fan.
Mona Kimura's kicks are nothing short of mesmerizing.
High, lightning-fast, and perfectly timed, each one snaps through the air with surgical precision. Her legs move like whips, coiled and released in flawless rhythm, a blend of power and grace that few fighters can replicate.
She can launch side kicks into her opponent’s ribs, roundhouses them, and switching from high kicks and low kicks in an instant. Before even going to that power she can deliver, every motion looks choreographed. For what it seems, each strike is born from instinct: the kind that comes only from countless hours of practice.
After she went viral, the crowd doesn’t just watch, they anticipate.
They know the kick is coming, but never from where, never how fast. One moment she’s balanced and calm, the next she’s in mid-air, her heel slicing through space. It’s that balance of beauty and brutality that makes her so captivating.
In that instant, everyone realizes that Mona Kimura isn’t just fighting. She’s performing.
But this real-life Chun-Li is not only inside the right.
Outside, Kimura has frequently showcased her style and persona, which further amplify her appeal. Many videos circulate online show her doing her Hundred Rending Kicks stance, doing it while walking her dog, at the gym, and wherever she can.
She shared her training in rapid-fire side kicks, glimpses of her gym, the rhythmic precision of her striking, and the aesthetic that draws both fight fans and gamers alike.
In a sport where flair meets function, Kimura with her unusual fighting style and attire, delivers both.