EUMIR Marcial made a successful return to the ring by knocking out Mexico’s Omar Ulises Huerta in the third round on Sunday at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California.
Marcial ended the bout with 1:44 remaining in the third round, landing a clean right-hook counter that dropped Huerta and forced the referee to call a halt to the contest.
The victory kept Marcial perfect in his professional career at 8-0, while Huerta fell to 15-2-2.
Marcial spent the opening rounds patiently working his way into the fight as Huerta started aggressively.
The Mexican pressed the action in the first round and threw more punches, but Marcial produced the heavier shots whenever he managed to trap his opponent near the ropes, particularly with his body work.
The Filipino Olympian continued to find his range in the second round and landed increasingly powerful combinations. Huerta tried to answer with a late barrage, but Marcial remained composed and absorbed the incoming punches.
Huerta briefly found success early in the third round when he connected on Marcial, but the Filipino immediately responded with the fight-ending counter.
The knockout marked Marcial’s first bout since October 29, 2025, bringing an end to nearly a year away from competition.
The result also came just as Marcial’s availability for the Philippines’ campaign in the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya remained uncertain.
Marcial’s status for the Asian Games will depend on whether he is cleared to compete following his professional bout. (Adrian Co)
