3rd Coast Grappling’s third event saw Jake Shields and Gracie Barra’s Romulo Barral face off against each other in a 190lb no-gi black belt title match, and the result was a tough, technical match that left no room for mistakes from either competitor.
The match started with both competitors aggressively working for control on their feet. A snapdown from Barral brought Shields to his knees, but Shields was able to escape. Barral ultimately took Shields down with a body lock from the back, earning two points. Barral tried to secure back control, but Shields defended and was able to come out on top in Barral’s guard. A passing attempt from Shields led Barral to take advantage of an omoplata opportunity. Regulation ended without Barral or Shields being able to do anything with the position, and the match moved into overtime.
In OT, Barral started off on top with Shields turtled and trying to defend the back take. Shields was once again able to come up and end up in Barral’s guard, and the competitors mostly stayed there until time ran out. The judges awarded Barral the decision, making him the 190lb no-gi black belt champion for the promotion.
