Just like in America, fans in the United Kingdom love their combat sports, specifically MMA. The land of Cage Warriors gets a chance to see one of the United States’ up-and-coming promotions for competitive violence this Friday night.
Anthony Pettis’ eponymous APFC treks to England for the first time ever on Friday for APFC 8. Due to the time difference between the United Kingdom and the United States, those who plan to watch in America are going to have to get up early to watch the full show.
Amateur undercard fights kick off the day’s action at 10 am ET/ 7 am PT on YouTube, followed by the main card that afternoon at 2 pm ET/ 11 am PT on UFC Fight Pass. Should there be any undercard bouts left over from the prelims at the end of the day, they will immediately follow after the APFC 8 main event.
Friday APFC makes its international debut!
Watch APFC Manchester live –
Prelims: YouTube
Main Card: UFC Fight Pass pic.twitter.com/9pbQKP65cO— APFC by Anthony Pettis (@anthonypettisfc) October 17, 2023
Bantamweights Do Battle in APFC 8 Main Event
Barring any cancellations between now and Friday, the final version of APFC 8 features a stacked 18-fight card. Your APFC 8 main event of the evening finds the focus at bantamweight, just as the co-main event is.
Unbeaten Louis Lee Scott (6-0 MMA, APFC promotional debut) will have the crowd on the side for the headliner when he squares off against Edgar Olivera (9-4 MMA, APFC promotional debut) in the headliner. Being a nontitle fight, the APFC 8 main event is an advertised maximum of three rounds at five minutes per round to close the show.
APFC 8 Main Event Fighter Comparison
Heading into the APFC 8 main event on Friday night, Louis Lee Scott stands at 5-foot-7. Interestingly, unlike most fights we’ve broken down on here, no height information was accessible online for this contest.
To that extent, there was also no reach information available for the APFC 8 main event online. As of Wednesday afternoon, the oddsmakers still had yet to release betting lines for APFC 8. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend, please wager responsibly.
Will “Lightning” Strike Again in APFC 8 Main Event?
Louis Lee Scott enters the main event on Friday having yet to lose thus far in his young professional career. He also has a penchant for getting the job done before the final bell rings.
Scott has won all six of his pro MMA bouts by stoppage and seven fights in a row by stoppage if you count amateur competitions. Most recently, he took Leandro Lima (6-4 MMA) into the third round before knocking him out during Caged Steel 32.
A few months ago, Scott was interviewed about several topics, including APFC 8.
“I’ve had some contact with the Anthony Pettis Fighting Championships,” Scott said. “I’d love to be on that show, you know? A big arena in Manchester, obviously Pettis being a massive name. Everyone that’s into MMA knows who Pettis is. It’d be a great opportunity here.”
Scott gets his wish this coming Friday. With this being a “home game” for him, can he put on another great show in the APFC 8 main event?
Will Olivera Hand Scott His First Loss?
In the other corner, Edgar Olivera has gone 4-1 in his last five bouts. Currently, he’s on a four-fight winning streak.
Most recently, he scored a first-round submission (kneebar) of Gabriel Alem (1-5 MMA) in MF Fighters 7. Much like Louis Lee Scott, Edgar Olivera has been known to score the victory inside the distance. He’s won three fights in a row by stoppage.
Both of these men are coming in at the top of their game. Only time will tell if Olivera gets the upset in the APFC 8 main event on Friday.
Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction
Much like the co-main event, the APFC 8 main event is another toss-up on paper. Both fighters can finish their assignments in devastating fashion.
Don’t Blink When Louis Lee Scott is Fighting
Given that Louis Lee Scott has a 100 percent stoppage rate in his professional MMA career, it would be wise for viewers of the APFC 8 main event to devote their complete, undivided attention when he’s on the screen.
Anytime he finishes the fight, it’s something to behold. Just look at the video of his PFL Europe 1 fight against Sam Robinson.
All Scott needed to do was take 26 seconds to dispose of Robinson with a crisp head kick right on the money. If Scott lands one blow exactly on-target, the APFC 8 main event will be a short one.
Edgar Olivera Can End the Fight in a Hurry, Too
In the other corner, Edgar Olivera, also known as “Pigmeu”, has been known to write a quick ending to the story in his own right. It’s safe to extend the Don’t Blink or You’ll Miss It Warning to his side of the ledger.
A textbook example of a quick finish from Olivera can be found in the video of his bout against Leo Alves from Thunder Fight 38 late last year. Although the fight was slated to be a three-round affair, he made certain to get the job completed in under a minute.
Right from the command to fight, Olivera went to work with a barrage of relentless shots. In short, Alves didn’t have anything close to a prayer in that fight. The one-way traffic stopped after just 47 seconds with “Pigmeu” scoring the knockout.
If Edgar Olivera comes out like a house on fire this Friday, the APFC 8 main event will be his to win.
Final Thoughts
No championship is at stake here in the APFC 8 main event, but in reality, there doesn’t even need to be a belt on the line to get fans of a great fight to tune in on Friday afternoon in the US. Think about it for a moment:
You’ve got two competitors who have combined for 10 wins in a row going at it. With their recent rate of finishes, the possibility exists that this headliner gets decided before the 15 minutes of action are up.
Building onto these statistics, with it happening on a Friday, there’s a chance that UFC President Dana White could be watching the APFC 8 main event, either live or after the fact. If he likes what he sees in the main event, the winner could be on the fast track to a contract at some point down the road.
Prediction: Louis Lee Scott by First-Round TKO.
