FILIPINO fans will finally get to see Olympic-bound Eumir Felix Marcial’s progress as a pro fighter first-hand tomorrow when he battles Thai bruiser Thoedsak Sinam in the headliner of the card organized by MP Promotions at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Signed to a five-year deal in 2020 by MP Promotions, Marcial is gunning for his fifth straight win as a pro against the well-traveled Sinam, 28, a former muay thai fighter who boasts a record of 23 wins, 19 by knockout, and 13 losses.
Both fighters are 28 years old and stand at 5-foot-8, with the Pinoy southpaw facing a right-handed rival.
Since arriving from the United States last week, Marcial has been training at the Tagaytay Combat Sports Center and will figure in his second eight-round match.
In his most impressive pro triumph so far, the Zamboanga City pride is coming off a second-round technical knockout win over Argentine journeyman Ricardo Ruben Villariba last Feb. 11, 2023, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
Sinam has won his last two fights, stopping compatriots Thirasak Yipaeng and Virad Pangyagonpivad in the fourth and third rounds, respectively, on Nov. 22, 2023, and Dec. 24, 2024, at the Singmanassak Muay Thai School Gym in Pathum Thani, Thailand.
In a television interview, Marcial said he has looked forward to and relished the prospects of finally fighting as a pro in front of his countrymen for the first time.
“Matagal ko nang pinangarap na makalaban dito sa Pilipinas,” Marcial said. “Mapapanood ako ng pamilya ko, kaibigan ko, lahat ng sumusuporta. Sobrang excited and grateful ako sa event na ito and sa lahat ng sumusuporta sa ‘kin.”
After capturing a silver medal in the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games last October and earning a ticket to the Paris Olympics in July, Marcian returned to the US in early January to train for his maiden appearance as a pro in Manila.