A rematch between Waipahu's Brian Viloria and the new World Boxing Council light-flyweight champion Omar Nino will need to wait a while.

A day after Viloria lost the WBC title in a 12-round unanimous decision to the 30-year-old Nino, Viloria's manager yesterday had no explanation for his fighter's subar performance, and said a rematch won't happen immediately.

Gary Gittelsohn said Viloria has a provision in his contract that allows for a rematch. However, under boxing rules, Nino has the opportunity to defend his title against a different opponent first.

"We would be his second optional defense," Gittelsohn said.

Whether Viloria (19-1) can rebound from his self-described "bad night" against Mexico's Nino (24-2-1) — who outlanded Viloria, 245-113, and outpunched him, 778-398 — remains to be seen.

Gittelsohn believes his fighter can.

"Brian's career is far from over," Gittelsohn said. "Brian will have many opportunities to redeem himself."

Gittelsohn said he's working to get Viloria, a 2000 U.S. Olympian, another fight in the coming months.

"It's very likely that it will be before the end of the year," Gittelsohn said. "He was checked out (Thursday) night, and there were no injuries. So he's physically OK. I want to make sure he's mentally and emotionally OK. We have to get Brian a fight so he can feel comfortable in the ring again."

Gittelsohn said he could not explain Viloria's lackluster title loss in the Orleans Arena at Las Vegas. Viloria did not immediately return telephone calls yesterday.

"I wish I could tell you what happened," Gittelsohn said. "I was mystified by it as everyone. It wasn't Brian in the ring (Thursday) night."

Before the fight, Viloria, 25, said he had recovered from a broken right hand suffered in February when he last defended his title in a unanimous decision over Jose Antonio Aguirre.

After Thursday's loss, Gittelsohn said he spent hours with a quiet Viloria, whom the manager described as entering the bout in great spirits with little difficulty making the 108-pound weight limit.

"Brian's preparation was so great, and his tools were so great," Gittelsohn said. "He just didn't show up."

In the middle of the bout, promoter Bob Arum told Gittelsohn that Viloria was "losing the fight," and Gittelsohn said he relayed that message to Viloria's handlers.

"They all got the message, and tried to convey the message to Brian," Gittelsohn said. "But Brian went into a dead zone, and he seemed like he wasn't even listening."

Gittelsohn called the loss a "substantial" setback to Viloria, who has won every available amateur medal except the Olympic medal, and won the world title as a young professional.

"We're going to have to regroup and figure out what went wrong so it doesn't happen again," Gittelsohn said. "Brian is going to have to take several steps back in order to regain what's lost."

Viloria was told repeatedly by his handlers "don't be thinking a fight ahead," and to not overlook the former No. 10-ranked contender Nino, Gittelsohn said.

Viloria had been hoping to set up a big-money fight with World Boxing Association champion Koki Kameda of Japan. Kameda made more than $2 million in his challenge for the WBA title, and drew 53 percent of the television audience in Japan, Gittelsohn said.

"I knew what was on the line," Viloria said in a post-fight interview on television. "I just had a bad night. I'm not going to make any excuses."

Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com.