Tachi Palace Entertainment Coordinator Jeremy Luchau with the Tachi Palace Fights girls.

“Taking applications”

By: Jeremy Luchau

It’s 6:30 a.m., I’ve been at work since about 5:45 a.m. and this I find is the best way for me to start my days in the office.

A lot of promoters do the stay up late and sleep in type of thing and I kind of do the opposite for some reason. I guess there’s really no rhyme or reason to it, but for the most part it works for me and my schedule with the family.

I took last week off from blogging, which was a much needed break from the stresses of the last Tachi Palace Fights show earlier this month. But now I’m back to pulling out my hair as matchmaker Richard Goodman and I try to tie this Dec. 2 fight card together.

There are probably three or four different directions this card can go at this point and it seems virtually every fight hinges on decisions that will be made in the coming weeks.

One thing is certain, though, and at the top of my 10-page “To-Do” list; I need to find an opponent for TPF Flyweight champ Ian McCall.

It’s proving to be a much more difficult task than I expected.

A lot actually goes into making a fight of this caliber and it’s not as simple as Jussier da Silva beating Mamoru Yamaguchi and having him fight for the title, as they just fought this year. Don’t get me wrong that is an option…

Initially my idea was to try and bring in Rambaa Somdet, but it doesn’t look like that is possible. Neither is Yasuhiro Urushitani , who is ranked by Sherdog.com as the No. 1 ranked flyweight in the world. I also thought about the possibility of bringing over Shinichi Kojima, who was also at one time ranked No. 1 in the world.

All three for one reason or another most likely will not be making the trip over the Pacific Ocean to fight for our title.

The search then switched to possible U.S. opponents and the names continue to pour in. The two American based fighters within the top 10 are both tied up with other promotions, so now I look for possible intriguing matchups outside the Top 10 that will also be “relevant” for McCall.

I say “relevant” because that’s what McCall asked for on Facebook. I jokingly replied, “I was thinking some one like Fedor,” and in perfect McCall style I get this, “Eh the Fedor era is over. I want Bones Jones”.

It’s honestly a bit of a delicate situation., but I’m glad McCall and I have a good relationship and joke about these things.

There are a few thoughts that have been tossed around:

  • Bring back Charlie Valencia for a rematch…
  • Louis Gaudinot and Nick Cottone seem to be two of the more established flyweights in the U.S.
  • Former UFC fighter Will Campuzano is a possibility, as he recently made the drop to flyweight.
  • Brandon Merkt is 11-0 and a hot prospect out of the Midwest.
  • Lewis McKenzie is a Top 20 flyweight and might probably be the most exciting matchup with McCall.
  • And then there are the two “dream” matchups I think would be great with Darren Uyenoyama making a move to 125, and bringing back Robson Moura to the MMA mix.

Those are just some of the thoughts I have right now. But I am certainly welcome to more ideas and suggestions. Here is your chance to make your pitch for your guy.

I will never be the guy that thinks he is smarter or better than anyone else. And I find the best “ideas” that we’ve come up with at Tachi Palace Fights have first always been someone else’s ideas.

We are looking to start releasing some of the bouts late next week and hopefully by then we have something set for McCall.

Locally I think we are going to have some of the better matchups of the year with guys like Isaac DeJesus, Poppies Martinez, Andrew Martinez, Paul Ruiz, Cody Gibson and Alex Perez all back in action.

The fight card still kind of looks like 100 puzzle pieces scattered across your kitchen table, but we will get it to work soon enough.

By the way, I tied for first in the biggest loser contest at work (although I cheated and cut 12 pounds of water the week of the final weigh-in) and I’ve been busy with school starting for my four kids. My son is busy with wrestling and football and my girls are busy giving me heart attacks every day in regards to boys.

My fiancé Lauren was published in MMA Times Magazine this month, featuring photos from her MMAKO Babe of the Month photo shoot. I guess it would be kind of strange for me to say check it out, but that’s what I’m going to do … Check out my girl!!!!!!!

And… I’m still pondering coming out of retirement for a fight.

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Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeremy.luchau
Twitter: @TheProject23
Email: [email protected]

Special Thanks: Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino (www.tachipalace.com), Fairtex (www.fairtex.com) and Hostility Clothing (www.hostilityclothing.com).

The Project Files” by Jeremy Luchau is a weekly blog series here at ProMMAnow.com which gives readers an inside look into the life of an MMA promoter. It is part of our ongoing series of exclusive content written by individuals involved in the mixed martial arts industry.

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