Reyel Bowen, the Bermuda kickboxer, believes he is benefiting from a renewed focus both inside and outside of the ropes as he prepares to headline Fight Night XVII “Invincible” at Berkeley Institute.

Bowen admits that his dedication to honing his ringcraft and willingness to make sacrifices are far greater than they were prior to his brief hiatus from the sport a few years ago.

Reaping the rewards of “no more late nights and eating right”, the 27-year-old is determined to put on a show in his three-round bout against Canada’s Cole Fetzner, of the Ottawa Academy of Martial Arts, tomorrow night.

“I’m just focusing on doing the same things that have led me here, keeping my training the same and doing what I do best,” Bowen said.

“I took some time off from fighting internationally for a few years and while I was away I learned to prioritise my life a bit.

“I had a lot of distractions that I would let get in the way of my training. Once I committed myself to competing again I said ‘you know, I want to do this right’ and now I prioritise my life accordingly. That means no more late nights partying and eating right!”

Although Bowen trains primarily with the Bermuda Sanshou Association, he is a familiar face at several of the Island’s other gyms, where he is keen to utilise the expertise of experienced coaches such as Clarence Hill, an Olympic medal winner, Allan “Forty” Rego and Leo Richardson.

With an Island as small as Bermuda, Bowen believes it would be detrimental to his development not to take full advantage of the knowledge and facilities at his disposal.

“I’ve put a really good training camp together,” said Bowen, who attended a three-day coaching retreat at CrossFit BDA last month led by Mark Hominick, who fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

“I’ve got some boxing training from Clarence Hill, some sparring at Rego’s Boxing Gym and Controversy Boxing Gym as well as working with my guys at Sanshou.

“It’s a small Island and we should try to use as many resources as we can. I don’t get involved in the politics of it all.

“I love all these gyms and have friends in every one that I train at. I hope they feel the same about me.”

Bowen is no stranger to being the headline act, having topped the bill at the Bermuda International Boxing Association’s debut card 12 months ago after Chioke Tucker and Leo Richardson’s bout fell through at the eleventh hour.

He earned a split-decision victory over Deondre Morris, of the Bermuda Karate Institute, in a boxing bout that night, and is confident of chalking up another win against Fetzner, 29, tomorrow.

“Being the main event or being on the undercard is no real difference for me,” said Bowen, who claimed a gold medal at the Pan American Sanda World Cup in Monterrey, Mexico, in December.

“I know [Fetzner] has a mixed martial arts background and that’s all I know about him.

“I always train for the worst possibility; I train for the best striker, the guy with the best stamina and the guy who is going come at me as hard as he can.

“I always want to put on a good show for my home crowd and I don’t want to disappoint anybody,” Bowen said.

Doors open at 6pm with the first bout scheduled for 7pm. Tickets are available from the International Sports Shop and PTIX.BM.