Marcial Lands 54 Punches, Stops Huerta, Then Bows Out of Asiad

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Eumir Marcial stopped Omar Ulises Huerta in the third round of their fight in San Diego. Hours later, he bowed out of the 2026 Asian Games. The Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist will skip the trip to Nagoya because of the tight turnaround.

Marcial landed 54 punches to Huerta’s 27 and improved to 8-0 as a professional. The fight took place Saturday, Sept. 19, in San Diego, which was Sunday, Sept. 20, in the Philippines. It was on the undercard of Isaac Cruz vs. Nestor Bravo.

Eumir Marcial's latest professional victory came just days before the start of his scheduled 2026 Asian Games campaign. [photo: Jhay Otamias] — Eumir Marcial’s latest professional victory came just days before the start of his scheduled 2026 Asian Games campaign. [photo: Jhay Otamias]

Marcial Stops Huerta With Counter Right Hook

Marcial went after the body from the opening bell, landing 11 body shots in the first round. Huerta answered with quick punches in the second, but Marcial kept pressing with power shots.

Huerta took bigger risks in the third round. He landed a punch, but Marcial countered with a right hook that sent him to the canvas. Huerta could not beat the referee’s count of 10, and the fight ended at 1:08 of the round.

“I was waiting for that left hand to counter it,” Marcial said. It was his fifth knockout in eight pro fights. Huerta fell to 15-2-1 with 13 knockouts.

Marcial Skips 2026 Asian Games Boxing After KO Win

Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) president Marcus Manalo said to media that Marcial will skip the Games. He said he and Marcial agreed on it after the fight. Marcial was set to fight in the men’s 80kg division, which starts Sept. 23.

Manalo said every athlete needs “adequate time to rest and recover.” He also pointed to the trip from San Diego to Nagoya and its 16-hour time difference.

Marcial won silver at the last Asian Games in Hangzhou and was among the athletes favored to bring home a medal. Manalo appealed for understanding on the decision.

“Eumir himself was very much looking forward to the opportunity to represent the flag once again. This is therefore a difficult decision for everyone involved,” Manalo said.

The Philippine boxing team opens its Asian Games campaign on Sept. 21. Olympic medalists Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam and Aira Villegas are on the squad. The country is still chasing its first Asian Games boxing gold since Rey Saludar won in Guangzhou in 2010.