Tokyo Olympian Marcial makes pro debut on Dec. 16 in LA

FILE – Eumir Marcial and Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach at Wild Card. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Eumir Felix Marcial is set to make his keenly-awaited professional debut on December 16 in Los Angeles.

Marcial, the Tokyo Olympian, will test his mettle against American Andrew Whitfield (3-1, 2 KOs) in a four-round middleweight bout at LA Live’s Microsoft Theater.

The 25-year-old Marcial, the Philippines’ top amateur boxer, has been raring to strut his stuff as a pro all the while remaining dead set on making history in Tokyo.

“Turning professional is an important step in my journey to the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. A lot of the fighters I may face in the Olympics have already turned pro so my professional training with Freddie (Roach) will keep me at their level of experience when we battle in the Olympics,” Marcial said.

“But my ultimate goal has always been to make my dad’s dream a reality, a dream he has had since my first amateur fight, to win an Olympic gold medal. That is the prize I have in my eyes. I want to be the first to bring Olympic gold back to Philippines.”

Marcial, whose fight is part of a Premier Boxing Champions event, turned pro in May and signed a six-year deal with MP Promotions two months later.

“I am very excited to see Eumir turn professional because it is an important step in gaining valuable experience for his Olympics campaign. It’s essential preparation to compete at the highest level for the 2021 Summer Games in Tokyo,” said MP Promotions president Sean Gibbons.

“If all goes well, Eumir will have one or two more pro fights to continue his preparation for next year’s Olympics,” Gibbons added.

The Zamboanga City native arrived in Los Angeles two months ago and trained under the guidance of Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach at Wild Card Gym.