The 31-year-old reclaimed the ANBF Australian super featherweight title by stopping Ben Dencio at the Coorong Pavilion in Canberra on April 23.

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"He hasn't realised his full potential: he's a late bloomer," Rice said.

The orthodox fighter had resumed light training, Rice said, and "will build the momentum as he gets closer" to his next fight. His next opponent is yet to be named.

His record now stands at four wins against four losses, with all his wins stoppages.

He halted Dencio in the ninth round of a scheduled 10-round bout.

It was his second win over Dencio: he stopped him in April 2019 to claim his first Australian super featherweight title.

Rice said Priestley was the first Moree fighter in almost a century to win a national pro belt.

"We'll see how he goes this year," the trainer said. "It all depends on how he goes in his next fight."

The latest contest against Dencio, Rice added, "was a pretty tough fight". "He learned a lot out of that fight."

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