Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist Eumir Marcial couldn't find the winning blow against his Uzbek foe, failing to move on to the men's 80kg quarterfinals at Paris 2024.
Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist Eumir Marcial's redemption tour has come to an abrupt end.
Marcial failed to punch his way past Uzbekistan’s Turabek Khabibullaev and his gold medal hunt for Paris 2024 ended in the round of 16 of men's 80-kg at the Roland-Garros Stadium on Wednesday, July 31 (Philippine time).
The 28-year-old southpaw, seeded seventh and earned a Round of 32 bye, could not overcome his gritty Uzbek foe, losing via unanimous decision.
Marcial stayed patient in the opening round as he picked his shots, but it was Khabibullaev’s long reach that allowed him to take the first round.
The Zamboanga native became more aggressive in the second round, coming closer to his 20-year-old opponent, but it was still not enough to earn the judges' scores.
This was the same scenario that unfolded in the third as Marcial tried to close the gap. However, Khabibullaev’s jab and reach simply proved to be enough to defeat the Filipino boxer.
The judges scored the fight 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, 30-27, 29-28, all for Khabibullaev.
Khabibullaev will await the winner between Cuba’s Arlen López and Turkiye’s Kaan Aykutsun in the next round.