U.S. fight fans catch ‘Marcialititis’

Nick Giongco·22 September 2026, 2:00 am PHT·1 MIN READ

EUMIR Marcial’s devastating display of punching power against Ulises Huerta in their middleweight match in California over the weekend goes viral.

Eumir Marcial’s one-punch, third-round knockout of Ulises Huerta was so viral that the big bosses at Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) swore they got afflicted with Marcialititis.

“PBC’s excited after just what Eumir came up with,” Sean Gibbons, Marcial’s official representative, told DAILY TRIBUNE.

So impressed was PBC that it advised Gibbons to prepare Marcial for a breakout 2027.

Marcial flattened Huerta over the weekend with a counter right hook at ring center of the Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California.

Top referee Thomas Taylor counted Huerta out, leaving the game and gutsy Mexican-American sustaining his first knockout defeat.

Even the PBC ringside commentary and those in attendance could not help but get bowled over by Marcial’s highlight reel.

“Eumir Marcial. Remember that name,” one of the PBC ringside commentators said.

Minutes after the fight, the Internet went nuts over the knockout win by Marcial with fight fans repeatedly playing and re-watching the slow-motion replay of Huerta landing a left on Marcial and getting struck by a right hook counter by the Zamboanga puncher.

Huerta, who had never been decked in 17 previous fights, crumbled as though he was made of sticks.

He tried to beat Taylor’s count but he was still on his ass when the count reached nine.

Initially, Marcial thought about taking the first available flight from Los Angeles to Nagoya so he could compete in the Asian Games in Nagoya.

But the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines decided that it would be too risky for Marcial to fight in the Asian Games given the jet leg he will be experiencing brought about by the trans-Pacific flight.

Instead, the ABAP, through its president Marcus Manalo, revealed that Marcial will try to make it up when the Philippines sends a delegation to the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) in December in Saudi Arabia.

It could not be determined if Marcial can fulfill a commitment in the AIMAG because the Filipino could either be fighting again around that time or getting ready for his ninth professional bout in early-2027.

Gibbons said it is paramount that Marcial shifts his focus on his pro career.

“He has to train here in the US to address some of his flaws,” added Gibbons.