Update: Tribal Council Reverses Decision, Tachi Palace Fights to Return in August

Though the odds appeared long against the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino hosting mixed martial arts events in 2013, live fights will in fact return to the venue this year. Sherdog.com Friday confirmed the news with TPF matchmaker Richard Goodman, who verified that the casino’s tribal council has voted to hold events this coming August and November, as well as four more shows in 2014.

The decision represents a turnaround from the council’s previous vote this past December, which resulted in the cancellation of TPF 16 on Feb. 21 and also discontinued plans to hold further shows for the foreseeable future.

Tachi Palace is owned and operated by the Tachi Yokut tribe on the Santa Rosa Rancheria reservation near Lemoore, Calif. The venue joined the MMA business in 2001 by hosting 22 of the first 24 World Extreme Cagefighting events prior to the 2006 purchase of the promotion by UFC parent company Zuffa.

The casino then began hosting Palace Fighting Championship events and served as the home of PFC for 17 of the organization’s first 19 shows before the promotion shuttered its doors in May 2009. TPF was then formed just two months later and has since held 15 shows, most recently streaming “Collision Course” live on Sherdog.com this past November. That show saw Angel DeAnda capture the vacant TPF light heavyweight title, as “The Dream” stopped Anthony Ruiz on third-round strikes.

Jeff Sherwood contributed to this report.