Feeling he could have done better in his initial professional boxing foray, Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial assured fans he will do better come his second pro fight.

The 26-year-old Marcial will climb the ring once more Sunday morning (Manila time) when he takes on a more experienced Isiah Hart in a 4-rounder in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Marcial scored a unanimous decision over another Andrew Whitfield in a middleweight encounter last December 2020 in Los Angeles, winning all four rounds in his pro debut.

But he had to deal with numerous personal issues before that fight, the biggest of which was the untimely death of his older brother Eliver.

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“Less than two months na lang laban ko that time, lagi ako puyat kasi naka-monitor ako gabi-gabi sa family ko. Yung COVID din masyado pa mahigpit noon kaya hindi din makakilos ng maayos,” said Marcial.

Marcial’s fight against Hart (6-2-1, 4 knockouts), to be held at the Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, will happen seven months after his Olympic campaign in Tokyo, Japan.

“Malaki pagkakaiba ngayon kasi kumpleto sparring ko. Maganda din epekto ng bagong training team ko lalo na si (Conditioning) coach Memo (Heredia) na napaka-professional talaga sa pag-handle ng program ko,” said Marcial.

During Saturday’s weigh-in, Marcial came in at 160.2 lbs. while Hart tallied 161.8.

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After being under the guidance of Freddie Roach in preparing for Whitfield, Marcial tapped the services of another seasoned trainer Jorge Capetillo for his bout against Hart.

“Talagang full-time siya sa akin. Pag time na ng training ko, sa akin siya from start to finish. Even sa morning run ko kahit hindi naman siya kailangan doon, pinupuntahan niya pa din ako,” added Marcial.

Capetillo made a name for himself as the trainer of the British boxer Tyson Fury, the current Ring Magazine and WBC world heavyweight champion.