Reece Bellotti’s pressure and power were eventually too much for Aqib Fiaz to handle in what was billed as the toughest fight of the British junior lightweight prospect’s career Saturday night.

Bellotti dropped Fiaz in the eighth round and Jaime Moore, Fiaz’s trainer, stopped their scheduled 12-round fight following a one-sided eighth round on the Jack Catterall-Jorge Linares undercard at Echo Arena in Liverpool.

Watford’s Bellotti upped his record to 17-5 and produced his 14th knockout. Oldham’s Fiaz slipped to 12-1 (1 KO) by losing a fight DAZN streamed.

A left hook by Bellotti made Fiaz take a knee with 52 seconds to go in the eighth round. Fiaz got up quickly, but Bellotti bombarded him with an array of head and body shots that eventually made Moore throw in the towel to save Fiaz just before the eighth round ended.

Referee Mark Lyson seemed to ignore Moore’s request to stop the bout, but he eventually went over to Fiaz’s corner and accepted Moore’s decision.

A fatigued Fiaz held at times during the seventh round, but he blasted Bellotti with a left hook with under 30 seconds remaining in that round.

Fiaz landed a left and then a short right in an exchange just before the bell sounded to end the sixth round.

Bellotti smothered Fiaz and landed multiple head shots about 1:20 into the sixth round.

Bellotti’s left hook connected with just under 30 seconds to go in the fifth round. Fiaz’s right landed as Bellotti came forward with his hands down just before the midway point of the fifth round.

A right uppercut by Fiaz landed with just over 30 seconds remaining in the fourth round. Fiaz’s right to Bellotti’s body landed with 1:10 to go in the fourth round.

Multiple jabs by Fiaz backed up Bellotti with about 30 seconds on the clock in the third round. Fiaz landed two right hands and then a left hook with just under a minute to go in the third round.

Bellotti pressed the action during the second round, but Fiaz defended himself well. While backed against the ropes, Fiaz landed a right uppercut with just under 50 seconds to go in the second round.

Bellotti landed a right hand, but Fiaz countered with a left hook almost simultaneously with just under 1:40 to go in the first round.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.