Waipahu boxer Brian Viloria made a triumphant return to the ring with a victory by unanimous decision over Colombia's Jose Garcia Bernal yesterday at Los Angeles.

Viloria dominated all eight rounds of the super flyweight (115 pounds) non-title bout to improve to 20-2. All three judges scored the bout 78-72.

It was Viloria's first fight since April 2007, and his first victory since February 2006. It also snapped a two-fight losing streak.

"This sets in motion what I want to do this year," said Viloria, 27. "I want to stay busy, I want to get back to the top. So I'm glad I was able to start the year off right with a win."

Viloria said he needed a few rounds to "shake off the rust," but was eventually able to score a knockdown of Bernal with a body shot in the eighth round. It was the only knockdown of the fight.

"It took me a while to get comfortable in the ring," he said. "But once I got things going, I felt real good in there."

Bernal, who was a world title contender in the late 1990s, dropped to 27-10-1.

Gary Gittelsohn — Viloria's manager — described the fight as "a one-sided affair," but said that had more to do with Viloria than Bernal.

"Brian won just about every round, but people who saw it know that (Bernal) was a very tough opponent," Gittelsohn said. "I would say it was a perfect test for Brian at this stage. He got some good rounds in against a very experienced and very durable opponent, and came out with the win."

Viloria won the WBC light flyweight (108 pounds) world championship in 2005, but lost it in 2006. His last two losses came in attempts to regain the 108-pound title.

"I just want to get past 2007 and late 2006, and start strong this year," he said.

Viloria said he will probably not fight again in the 108-pound division, and his goal in 2008 is to fight for the world championship in the 112-pound division.

"I feel a lot stronger now," he said. "I don't have to worry about cutting weight, I just have to worry about what I do in the ring. That makes a difference."

Yesterday was also Viloria's first bout as a member of the La Colonia Boxing Club in Oxnard, Calif. Robert Garcia, a former world champion, was Viloria's trainer for yesterday's victory.

"I think it's a good fit for Brian, and obviously, we're going to return there for training," Gittelsohn said.

In 2007, Viloria fought just once. Gittelsohn said that will change in 2008.

"If there's one thing this fight showed me, it's that being off for eight months is not going to help Brian progress," Gittelsohn said. "So we're going to stay active. I'm looking at something within the next two months for his next fight."

Viloria said: "Every fight is important for me from now on, but one or two fights a year is not going to do it. I have to train hard, and keep fighting ... work my way back."

Although unlikely, Viloria said he would like to fight in Hawai'i sometime in 2008. Only three of his professional bouts have been staged in Hawai'i, the last time in April 2003.

"It's long overdue, and I miss Hawai'i," Viloria said. "I apologize to all my fans in Hawai'i that I've been away for a while, but I hope to bring a title back."