Reece Bellotti says he is back on track after returning to winning ways with a victory on points over Brayan Mairena on Saturday night.

The South Oxhey boxer was handed the first set-back of his career when he was stopped by Ryan Doyle to surrender the Commonwealth Featherweight title in June.

Having taken time away from the ring, Bellotti, 27, took his record to 13-1 with a composed victory against the hardy Mairena at London's Copper Box Arena.

Bellotti says he has put the loss to Doyle firmly behind him now and says his latest victory is a sign he is progressing once more.

"Every fighter who has his first loss is going to be gutted," Bellotti told IFL TV. " Ryan Doyle is a good fighter but I didn't expect to lose that fight.

"I have regrouped, am listening a bit more in the gym and hopefully people saw that tonight. It is onwards and upwards."

Bellotti headed into his meeting with Doyle as favourite after recording 11 knockouts in his 12 straight professional wins.

Doyle, who relinquished his Commonwealth crown with a loss to Jordan Gill at the same Copper Box meet, is by no means a simple opponent but Bellotti would have expected to win the bout.

He admits that the loss was indicative of a boxer who had allowed himself to lose his focus and begun to believe in his own hype - a mistake he will not repeat.

"I have 100 per cent improved a lot since the first defeat and I got into a bit of a bubble where I thought I was invincible," he said.

"I thought nobody would be able to stop me. It has never been done to me before, even in the gym and since I was at amateur level.

"I didn't think it would happen and I learned a lot of lessons that night which hopefully people will see that going forward."

Saturday's bout proved to be a testing one as Mairena pushed Bellotti hard for his 59-55 points win which saw Bellotti take five of six rounds.

Getting back in the ring after a lengthy spell out of action was always going to be tough and Bellotti feels the way the fight worked out was ideal.

"He landed a couple don't get me wrong, but technically I think I was a lot better and I should have been like that in the Ryan Doyle fight," he said.

"It was a tough fight and maybe if I had two more rounds I would have been able to stop him, but this is the opponent I needed to practice the things I have been working on."

With a successful return now under his belt, Bellotti's focus has turned to the future and progressing with another bout.

Doyle's defeat to Gill makes the latter Bellotti's favourite option for his next opponent, but he accepts patience may have to be his main virtue moving forward.

"I am a fighter at the end of the day and I will fight anybody. I have never been in with Gill, I know he is a very good fighter and skilful on his feet," he said.

"I watched one of his fights against Jason Cunningham and he slowed a bit in the later rounds.

"The fighter in me talking would want to fight for the Commonwealth belt next, but I think Jim McDonnell (coach) and the boys make a lot of decisions.

"I think they will want me to have another 10 rounder in me to practice stuff I have been working on and improve as a fighter."