Two young mixed martial arts athletes from Barbados, Kristian Griffith and Liam Russell, are preparing to step into one of the most challenging regional tournaments of their careers this week, as the pair makes their country’s debut at the Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts Pan American Championships in Bogotá, Colombia. Competing in the hotly contested Under-70kg division, Griffith and Russell will go toe-to-toe with elite martial artists from 19 other nations across the Americas, facing a single-elimination bracket that leaves no room for error from their very first match.
The five-member Barbadian delegation, which also includes head coach Leonid Tkach, assistant coach Odain Jackman and team manager Justin Maloney, touched down in the Colombian capital on Sunday, two days before the official opening of the tournament. The 11-day event will run from Tuesday through September 15, with competitive action kicking off for all divisions this Wednesday.
In an interview with local Barbadian outlet Barbados TODAY from his team’s base in Bogotá, Tkach emphasized that the single-elimination format of the tournament demands peak performance from the opening bell. “This is an elimination bracket: every fight is do-or-die. Win, and you move on to the next round. Lose, and your tournament is over,” he explained. “That means our athletes can’t afford to hold anything back, even in their very first bout. They have to be ready to hit the ground running at their absolute best.”
Despite the high stakes and steep competition the pair will face, Tkach expressed confidence in his athletes’ preparation, saying both men have never been in better physical and mental shape ahead of the tournament. “Honestly, they are in the best shape of their lives right now. Both are completely locked in, focused, and genuinely excited to get in there and test their skills against the best in the region,” Tkach said.
The two fighters have built their training base at the Fight Club located in Barbados’ W Plaza, where they have put in consistent, dedicated work over the past several years to reach this level. Russell, for his part, has maintained a grueling six-day weekly training schedule, while Griffith trains four to five days each week, with all sessions tailored to build the specific strength, technique and endurance needed for elite international competition.
In the months leading up to the Pan American Championships, Tkach adjusted the training program to focus specifically on the challenges of this event, adding targeted work to boost each athlete’s technical skill and physical strength ahead of their debut. Tkach also acknowledged that this tournament marks a historic milestone for Barbadian mixed martial arts: never before has a team from the Caribbean nation competed at a regional championship of this caliber.
While the team has set high expectations for the event, entering with the goal of bringing home medals, Tkach noted that the experience itself is a win for the emerging Barbadian MMA program, regardless of the final results. “Our hopes are high, and we are really hoping these two young men can stand on the podium this year. But even if we don’t get medals, they are still going to turn in strong performances and gain invaluable experience,” he said. “This is just the first step for Barbados at this level, it won’t be the last. No matter what the outcome is this time around, we will be bigger, stronger and more prepared when we return to compete next year.”