Commonwealth champion Reece Bellotti goes up against British champion Liam Dillon live from The O2 in London, England on Saturday, February 10. The pair squares off in the scheduled for 12 rounds main event bout at super featherweight. Two title belts are at stake.
Reece Bellotti (17-5, 14 KOs) brings to the ring his Commonwealth strap that he claimed via stoppage against Aqib Fiaz last October. Unbeaten Liam Dillon (13-0-1, 3 KOs) puts his British title on the line that he took by split decision against Qais Ashfaq last July.
In late 2018, Bellotti fought Ryan Walsh for the same British belt, but lost the fight by split decision. The 33-year-old aims to succeed in his second attempt.
“Liam is a good fighter,” said Bellotti. “He’s tough. He’s a very tough man. He’s a come forward fighter. We’re both come forward fighters so it will be a good fight on the night. I can’t wait for it. I’m on the same mindset as him. It’s going to be a great fight for the fans and one for everyone to watch. It’s a fight we’ve always wanted. A fight we’ve always looked forward to. We were ready for the call and took the fight.”
“100% this is the most important fight of my career. I’ve always wanted the British title ever since I was a kid. When I started boxing, the British title was always the one for me. Obviously I got beat against Ryan Walsh a few years back. I was gutted. Probably at that time I didn’t think I’d ever get another shot again at a British title. I moved up a weight and now I’ve got my chance again I’ll take it with both hands.”
From October 2019 through August 2021 Reece Bellotti collected three straight losses. Nevertheless, the native of Watford, England returned to winning ways in April 2022 and won three fights in a row. Kicking off 2024, he targets more victories and title belts.
“I’ve kept a strong mindset all of the time. There will always be bumps in the road. You can always come up against better fighters on the night. It happens quite often, you see it a lot around the world. I always dig deep and I always thought I was going to win more titles. I carried on and I did.
“I’m fully focused on winning the British title and then pushing on for more belts this year. I’m trying to maximise myself and get as far as I can go. If that’s a potential shot at a world title, I know it sounds crazy, then that’s what we’ll go for. I’m ready for it.”
Among the bouts featured on Dillon vs Bellotti undercard, Watford’s Shannon Ryan (6-0) faces Emma Dolan (6-0, 1 KOs) of Norwich, England in a 10-round bout at super flyweight. As well, London native Craig Richards (17-3-1, 10 KOs) takes on Boris Crighton (12-4, 7 KOs) of Glasgow, Scotland in a 10-round bout at light heavyweight. Plus, Cameron Vuong (3-0, 2 KOs) of Blyth, England and Ishmael Ellis (14-7) of Birmingham, England clash in an eight-round bout at lightweight.