Updated Third Coast Grappling Middleweight Grand Prix Bracket Revealed
We are now less than three weeks away from Third Coast Grappling 7 and the eight-man middleweight grand prix featuring some of the top grappling competitors on the planet. After some roster changes and shuffling, the promotion has now released the full bracket. Check out the first-round match-ups below.
Roberto Jimenez vs. Adam Bradley: Now just days into his black belt career, Adam Bradley is an Atos representative and a Third Coast Grappling veteran. Last December, he picked up a kneebar win over Bruno Matias at TCG 5. He’ll be taking on Roberto Jimenez, who was a breakout star in 2020 after a world championship brown belt career. Jimenez is the more accomplished competitor here, with wins over Dante Leon, Gabriel Almeida, and Tye Ruotolo.
Pedro Marinho vs. Pat Downey: An accomplished amateur wrestler, Pat Downey has thus far only dipped his toes into the waters of submission grappling, with a one-off match against Gordon Ryan and a single Fight to Win Match. He’ll test his budding jiu-jitsu skills against Pedro Marinho. Although Marinho typically likes to wrestle, look for him to bring the match to the mat any way he can, where he’ll use the grappling skills that won him no-gi world championships at purple and brown belt to overwhelm the inexperienced Downey.
Andrew Tackett vs. John Combs: Teenage grappling phenom Andrew Tackett comes into the tournament with very little to lose, and that might make him dangerous. Coming off a hard-fought loss to fellow prodigy Micael Galvao, he’ll be a sizable underdog against the credentialed ADCC veteran John Combs. Combs is an excellent wrestler, a veteran of the submission grappling scene, and can finish with a wide variety of submissions.
Gustavo Batista vs. Pedro Rocha: In addition to his considerable IBJJ accomplishments, Gustavo Batista is also a Third Coast Grappling Kumite champion, and holds a win over fellow competitor Roberto Jimenez. Batista’s excellent guard passing could make for an interesting match against Brazilian wrestling champion and black belt competitor Pedro Rocha.
How to watch: Third Coast Grappling 7 takes place on Saturday, June 19 and will air live on Fite TV pay-per-view.
