Eumir Marcial on split decision loss to Khyzhniak: 'I gave my all to win'

Eumir Marcial admitted that he simply wasn't the better fighter when he lost to Ukraine's Oleksandr Khyzhniak via split decision on Thursday.

According to the Filipino boxer, who settled for a bronze medal in the men's middleweight at the Tokyo Olympics, he left everything on the ring even though he came up short.

He also said that Khyzhniak, the 2017 world champion and the heavy favorite in Tokyo, deserved the hard-fought win.

"He is a strong fighter, he deserves to win," Marcial said in a press release. "I gave my all to win, but that's the decision. I know God has plans for me... for me, this bronze is gold."

Marcial turned professional in September 2020 and trained for four months under world-renowned trainer Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym in the United States.

He won his first pro fight in December but he hadn't seen action in a single bout until last May's Asian championships in Dubai.

The national boxing team's Australian consultant, Don Abnett, said that Marcial lost some momentum in the final stretch against Khyzhniak to officially bow out.

"He only had six weeks training with us, although his Colorado [Springs] training helped him a lot," Abnett said.

Despite the loss, Marcial still sees it as an opportunity to get better for future bouts.

"There's still a lot to work on," he said.

—Bea Micaller/MGP, GMA News