Las Vegas, Nevada—Eumir Felix Marcial, the Philippines’ 2021 middleweight Olympic Bronze medalist, is intent on making his 2023 return to the pro ranks a coming out party.
A native of Zamboanga, Philippines, Marcial (3-0, 1 KO), eschewed holiday celebrations to set up camp and train in Las Vegas with head coach Jorge Capetillo.
Marcial, 27, returns to the ring, in a six-round middleweight bout, Saturday, Feb. 11, in San Antonio’s Alamodome, on the undercard of the O’Shaquie Foster—Rey Vargas WBO world jr. lightweight title battle, which will be televised live on SHOWTIME.
Marcial’s opponent will be announced soon.
Since making his professional debut in 2020, Marcial has run the table, defeating Andrew Whitfield and Steven Pichardo by unanimous decision and stopping Isiah Hart in the fourth round, balancing those fights with his amateur career, which has included training for numerous tournaments and the Tokyo Olympics.
In the Hart battle, which was Marcial’s second professional bout, the Filipino warrior displayed the composure of a seasoned veteran to score a TKO of Hart (6-3-1, 4 KOs), at the 47-second mark of the fourth-round despite getting knocked down three times himself, once in the first round and twice in the second round, in a firefight bout scheduled for six rounds. That’s a lot of experience to get for a fighter in only his second professional fight.
Whitfield, Hart, and Pichardo boasted a combined record of 17-5-1, 8 KOs, when they fought Marcial.
“I look forward to focusing on my professional career and I am very excited to be fighting in San Antonio, which is not just a great fight town but also where my promoter Manny Pacquiao made ring history, said Marcial. I have learned a lot in my last three professional fights. I have had a very productive training camp and I cannot wait to show off what I have learned on February 11. My three goals are to work hard, to win, and to become a world champion. And thank you to all my fans for their continued support. I fight for them and to bring honor to the Philippines.”
“Eumir is a very special fighter. Unless you are part of his inner circle, you have no idea how hard it has been to constantly shift training from amateur to professional styles every year,” said Sean Gibbons, President of MP Promotions.
“Yet Eumir does it without a complaint because in his heart, he’s spurred on by his need to bring honor to the Philippines and Filipinos around the world. Manny and I are so proud of how Eumir has handled the pressure. Now he can focus on his professional career, and I am confident his true talent will be on full display on February 11 at the Alamodome.”
After winning his pro debut — a four-round unanimous decision over Andrew Whitfield in Los Angeles on Dec. 16, 2020 — Marcial turned his attention to getting prepared for the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo.
In one of the most exciting bouts of the 2021 summer games, Marcial and top-seeded Oleksandr Khyzhniak, of Ukraine, battled tooth and nail in their semifinal battle.
Khyzhniak, who would move on to win the Silver medal, pulled it out in the third and final round by the narrowest of margins.
Marcial won the Bronze.
Another high-water mark in Marcial’s amateur career was capturing a Silver medal at the 2019 World Boxing Championships.