‘Project’ gains new opponent

LEMOORE -- There's been a major adjustment for "The Project.''

Sentinel sports reporter Jeremy Luchau's opponent for Thursday night's mixed martial arts match at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino has been changed after his originally scheduled opponent withdrew.

Luchau will fight in a scheduled three-round welterweight bout against Michael Satumbaga of Lemoore at the Palace Fighting Championship's "Project Complete" card.

Both will be making their pro debuts as part of a 13-bout card.

Luchau had been scheduled to take on Shahob Nasrabadi (0-2) of Fresno in a lightweight bout, but Nasrabadi pulled out.

"He did not give us a true reason,'' Palace entertainment director Christian Printup said. "Basically, he went AWOL.''

The bout had been slated to be a lightweight bout, with a 160-pound limit. But since Satumbaga accepted the fight on a week's notice, the limit will be a catch weight of 165 pounds.

While the matchup has changed, the basic strategies of the opponents likely will not. It still figures to be a striker vs. grappler contest.

Satumbaga, originally from Hagonoy, The Phillipines, is an engineering student at Fresno State. The 23-year-old specializes in Muay Thai.

Luchau, 28, is a native of Santa Ana who has lived in Hanford for six years. He specializes in grappling. His experiences training for the bout have been recounted in a Sentinel column called "The Project.''

Thursday night's card begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Palace bingo hall. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.

Printup said the show is sold-out to the public -- the 27th sellout in a row for an MMA show at the casino. There will be three Palace Fighting Championship title bouts on the card.

"I'm extremely excited,'' Printup said. "From top to bottom, it's the best show we've ever had in Lemoore, regardless of whether it's been PFC or WEC.''

(Oct. 15, 2007)