LEMOORE --Three Team Ochoa mixed martial artists will be in action on Friday night at Palace Fighting Championship 9 at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino. Lemoore welterweights Paul Gonzalez and Andrew Martinez and Hanford lightweight Jeremy Luchau will take on Bakersfield fighters.

Martinez (5-1-1) is slated to take on Jack Morrison (0-2) and Gonzalez (1-0) is scheduled to take on Alfredo Mirelas (0-1).

"I don't know much about Mirelas. I know he's from Bakersfield and trains with Bullet (Robert Breslin)," Gonzalez said. "I also know he has some experience, but I'm ready. I've been training really hard, sweating every day."

Luchau (1-0) will be back in action against Juan Lopez (1-3).

"I just want to get back in the ring and test my skills," said Luchau, who is known locally as a Hanford Sentinel sports reporter that made his MMA debut in October with a submission victory over Mike Santumbaga.

"I've been working a lot on my striking and standup game with Richard Batin and I want to show people that I'm a complete fighter."

One of the more complete fighters on the Lemoore based Team Ochoa fight team is Martinez, who in his last PFC appearance lost by technical knockout (doctor stoppage) to Taft's Doug Hunt (4-2).

Martinez most recently defeated Mike Duran in March at a Gladiator Challenge event in Porterville.

PFC 9 is headlined by the return of Visalia's Doug Marshall (7-3). Marshall is the former World Extreme Cagefighting Light Heavyweight champion and will be making his return to Lemoore where he started his career.

Marshall will take on Merced's Phil Collins (6-3) at a catch weight of 195 pounds.

"This is one of the best fight cards we've put together," PFC President Christian Printup said.

Tickets can be purchased at tickets.com or charge by phone at 1-800-225-2277. Tickets can also be purchased at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino Gift Shop and the Hanford Sentinel office.

Weighins will be held on Thursday at 5 p.m. at the Den Sports Bar located on the third floor of the Palace.

On Friday doors open at 5:30 p.m. and fights start at 6:30. The fights will be held outdoors for the first time in PFC history.\

(July 16, 2008)