Jaime Fletcher realizes that professional fighting is not just about winning but grabbing a starring opportunity when it comes.

The fighter from Pomona, Calif., knows the value of celebrity.

Fletcher (6-3) makes his third television appearance when he meets France’s towering Cyrille “The Snake” Diabate (14-6-1) in a light heavyweight bout at the Table Mountain Casino in Friant, Calif., on Friday. The EliteXC fight card will be televised on Showtime.

It all happened for Fletcher when he was mulling over a loss in a Pancrase tournament in Japan. He suddenly got a call from his manager about filling in for an EliteXC show with only nine days to prepare.

He took it.

“Only a nine days notice on Showtime? I’m there,” said Fletcher about making his first MMA appearance for EliteXC in October 2007. “That’s how that fight came about.”

Though he lost that first appearance, Fletcher impressed the organizers with his willingness to engage and entertain.

Fighting is all about entertainment, says Fletcher.

Pomona, a small burg with a population of 160,000, has produced more than its share of athletes and celebrities.

If you need convincing there’s “Sugar” Shane Mosley, Mike “Hercules” Weaver, Albert Davila and Richie Sandoval who were all world champions in boxing. Mark McGwire was a massive star in Major League Baseball and his brother Dan McGwire a star quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks. Actress Jessica Alba is from Pomona as well as Kobe Bryant’s wife Vanessa. Even country singer Tom Waits hails from there.

The hills of Pomona seem to have a knack for developing talent.

At 31, Fletcher attacks each fight with the zeal of a blitzing defensive back. In fact, he was a defensive back for Chaffey College and keeps that football mentality in the cage.

“After I did some underground pro fights in San Pedro (California), I wasn’t that serious but I just loved training at first,” said Fletcher. “But I liked it so much, I thought I better go hard now because I’m not getting any younger.”

His manager Steve Rusich, who also manages Jared Hamman, said Fletcher has that warrior mentality that can’t be taught, and an entertainment factor that fans love.

“He loves to fight for a crowd,” Rusich says.

Entertaining fans comes easy to Fletcher. He’s an accomplished music producer, a male model and rapper.

“But even when I was young I had that love for martial arts,” Fletcher says.

As a child, his mom didn’t make enough to spend on Taekwondo classes. But it didn’t stop him from attempting flying backward kicks and other kung fu specials.

“You learn quickly those things don’t work,” he said.

Now he trains in Fullerton with several pretty good fighters, including Josh Barnett and Renato “Babalu” Sobral.

“They kick my butt every day so I don’t get it kicked during a fight,” Fletcher says.

He’s going to need that experience when he meets France’s long and tall kickboxer Diabate, who stands 6-foot-6.

“I know he fought ‘Shogun’ Rua and that he’s a legitimate MMA mainstream fighter,” said Fletcher with a tint of excitement. “What’s the point if you’re not going to try to do it and see what it takes?”

Now in his early 30s, Fletcher is taking all challenges. He wants that title shot yesterday.

“You can fight a bunch of backyard bums and go undefeated, what did you ever do?  If you want to be mentioned with the best or be called legit, you need to go after the best,” he said. “Win or lose, I can take that with me to the grave.”

Hamman-Suganuma rematch
The last time these two light heavyweights met, if you blinked you missed it. Jared Hamman (10-1) gets another look at Hawaii’s Po’ai Suganuma (9-1) on the co-main event at Table Mountain Casino on Friday. The first clash ended in 15 seconds last April after a punch and kick sent Hamman to the floor and the referee rushing in to stop it.

Suganuma says it will be a repeat, Hamman says show me.

Other bouts include Fabricio Camoes (10-4) against Sam Morgan (19-10) in a lightweight bout; Keith Berry (7-2) vs. Ray Lizama (5-5) in a middleweight match and female fighters Debi Purcell (4-1) fighting England’s Rosi Sexton (8-1) in a bantamweight bout.

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