Tachi Palace Hall Of Fame to honor The Tachi Kid, The Rhino, and The California Kid Feb 3rd at A1 Combat 8

The Valley is buzzing in anticipation for what is to come as the New Year for MMA gets started. A1 Combat is set to put on their 8th installment of their product from the legendary Tachi Palace Casino & Resort in Lemoore, Ca.  The original home to MMA in the Central Valley of California, if not California, period at one point. The Tachi Palace Casino & Resort has been the home to some of the top MMA promotions, including the original WEC (World Extreme Cage fighting), PFC (Palace Fighting Championship) and TPF (Tachi Palace Fights). Throughout these times many fighters have made names for themselves and the promotions they competed for in Lemoore. 

Tachi Palace has always been home to top MMA competition. From the fighters that paved the way in the WEC days, to the TPF Flyweight tournament that helped shape the sport's division. Tachi Palace was well known as a place to start you MMA career, and a place that produced fighters that would make their way into the big shows. Fighters were also able to get back on track to get back into a big show, as many veterans made their way through The Tachi Palace on the way back to UFC or Bellator success. Since the last MMA event at the Tachi Palace in 2018, The Valley was left with a void hard to fully fulfill in Lemoore for MMA.

Friday February 3rd, 2023 A1 Combat brings a end to that! As Urijah Faber's A1 Combat brings MMA home with A1 Combat 8 from The Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore. That alone is huge for the area, but the folks at A1 Combat know their MMA history and plan to celebrate the return of MMA to the Tachi Palace in a big way. The promotion has teamed up with the Tachi Palace Casino & Resort to hold the first ever ceremony for the Tachi Palace Hall of Fame. The ceremony will recognize and celebrate MMA fighters and people who have had major impacts in their time at the Tachi Palace. 

The first Tachi Palace Hall of Fame Class was announced on the promotion's social media platforms and was met with positive reactions. Central Valley MMA enthusiasts were quick to congratulate members of the first class and add who they thought should be included. With this being the first of many ceremonies. A1 Combat announcer and commentator Jim Cooley who came up with the Tachi Palace Hall of Fame concept confirmed, that all names being mentioned to be included are in the mix and in consideration for future Hall of Fame classes. A1 Combat announced the first class with a post on social media saying,

"The first Tachi Palace Hall of Fame ceremony will take place before the main card Friday February 3rd, 2023. We are excited to announce the first three inductees to the Hall of Fame:

Poppies "The Tachi Kid" Martinez 

Doug "The Rhino" Marshall

Urijah "The California Kid" Faber

Please come and celebrate with us while we honor and recognize these pioneers of the sport. They are truly the foundation and fabric of Mixed Martial Arts. It's time for their party!! The Hall of Fame ceremony is included in your ticket to the fights"

photo courtesy/A1 Combat Facebook

Lemoore's own (29-11) Poppies "The Tachi Kid" Martinez leads the way for the first Tachi Palace Hall of Fame class. You cant talk MMA at the Tachi Palace without The Tachi Yokut tribes own being mentioned. Poppies began his martial arts days at Sam Ochoa's Kenpo Karate in Lemoore. Martinez would then become a popular regular in the WEC. Poppies earned his way to the WEC North American Lightweight title. Martinez would go on to win titles for the next two promotions at the Tachi Palace, capturing the PFC and TPF lightweight titles. The Tachi Kid would also add a featherweight title to the trophy case in 2014, making him the first fighter to hold two titles at the same time for TPF. Martinez finished his career under the Bellator banner where he fought his last fight in 2014 at Bellator 125 in Fresno. Congratulations to Poppies "The Tachi Kid" Martinez!

photo courtesy/A1 Combat Facebook

Visalia's (18-8) Doug "The Rhino" Marshall spears his way into the first Tachi Palace Hall of Fame class! The Tachi Palace MMA fans knew not to blink when this man was in the cage, or you'd miss the KD! Marshall exploded out of The Box and into the WEC scene in 2003, racking up four finishes and capturing the WEC North American Heavyweight title. Marshall moved to the light heavyweight division in 2006, where he won the WEC Light Heavyweight title at WEC 23. Doug would make the move with the organization to Las Vegas after the Zuffa purchase, where he impressively defended his title twice. "The Rhino" would return to the Tachi Palace in 2008 at PFC 9 where he went 3-0 in the promotion. Marshall would compete two more times at the Tachi Palace for TPF where he made his middleweight debut. His last fight in Lemoore was at TPF 10 in 2011. Marshall moved on to win the Bellator Season 8 Middleweight tournament in 2013. The Rhino also finished his MMA career with Bellator, last competing at Bellator 125 in Fresno in 2014. Congratulations to Doug "The Rhino" Marshall!

photo courtesy/A1 Combat Facebook

Sacramento's (35-11) Urijah "The California Kid" Faber rounds out the first Tachi Palace Hall of Fame class. Urijah Faber only competed one time at the Tachi Palace in his career, but the significance of that fight and what he did after, is what makes it special. Faber was 11-1 entering WEC 19 in 2006. Urijah had collected titles up and down California for Gladiator Challenge and King of the Cage, next on his list. The WEC Featherweight title in Lemoore, enter the inaugural and WEC featherweight champion at the time Fresno's "The Apache Kid" Cole Escovedo. Escovedo was on a terror with eleven finishes in twelve fights , entering the bout with a 11-1 record himself. "The California Kid" was successful in adding the WEC title to his collection after a second round stoppage. 

Not long after this fight, Zuffa would purchase the WEC and move it to Las Vegas. The organization kept on their current champions including Urijah Faber who retuned to the promotion for the first event under Zuffa at WEC 25. Faber became a adopted son for the Tachi Palace and the area when he captured the title. He went on to defend it from 2006 to 2008, and let it be known that the crop at Tachi Palace wasn't anything to play with. Urijah became the face of the WEC while doing so and went on to the UFC as we all know. "The California Kid" defending that title proudly along with others help stamp the Tachi Palace in Lemoore, as legit and serious proving grounds for years to come, no matter what the promotion was called. While competing in the UFC, Faber was still a regular at events for the Tachi Palace, as he would bring in members of Team Alpha Male to compete often. Urijah now returns with his own promotion A1 Combat, bringing MMA home to the Tachi Palace Casino & Resort in Lemoore. Congratulations to Urijah "The California Kid" Faber!

A1 Combat 8 goes down Friday February 3rd, 2023 from the Tachi Palace Casino & Resort in Lemoore, Ca! The Tachi Palace Hall Of Fame Ceremony will take place before the main card and is included with your Tickets. Tickets are on sale now at www.eventbrite.com/e/urijah-fabers-a1-combat-8-tachi-palace-tickets-469524449267

A1 Combat 8 card: www.valleyfightnews.com/2022/11/art-arciniega-vs-sergio-quinones-plus.html

Before that! A1 Combat kicks off the year with A1 Combat 7 from the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Sacramento, Ca . A1 Combat 7 "Night of Champions" goes down Friday January 13th, 2023. Tickets on sale now at www.eventbrite.com/e/urijah-fabers-a1-combat-7-night-of-champions-at-hard-rock-live-tickets-453239671057

A1 Combat 7 Card: www.valleyfightnews.com/2022/12/a1-combat-starts-new-year-off-with-3.html

Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat 7 and 8 will also air live on UFC Fight Pass

Check out A1 Combat at www.a1combat.com on Facebook@ www.facebook.com/CaliMMApromoter on IG@ www.instagram.com/a1_combat

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By: Daniel “Trip” Quintana www.noweakshitever.com