Immortal Lotus vs. Keaneo Moyer in APFC 4 Co-Main Event

MMA on a Sunday night is a rare treat, but that’s just what UFC Fight Pass will have on deck this Sunday night. The weekend in combat sports ends in Milwaukee with the fourth card from Anthony Pettis Fighting Championships (formerly Showtime Fighting Championships), APFC 4. Hammond, Indiana’s Jean Shepherd Community Center plays host to the event.

Dubbed Night of Champions, Sunday’s card (7 pm ET/ 4 pm PT, UFC Fight Pass) features a 16-fight slate. Originally scheduled to feature three title fights at the top of the bill, it’s now a championship doubleheader this weekend.

A planned bantamweight championship matching Austin Bashi (8-0 MMA) with Diego Manzur (7-0 MMA) that would have served as the APFC 4 main event was canceled before the event. No word on when the promotion will try to reschedule the scrubbed contest.

Dorzhiev, Moyer Square Off For Flyweight Strap in APFC 4 Co-Main Event

Brave CF veteran Badmatsyren Dorzhiev (6-0 MMA) will make his United States debut Sunday when he meets A1 Combat alum Keaneo Moyer (4-4 MMA) in the APFC 4 co-main event. The winner becomes the inaugural APFC Flyweight Champion.

This co-main event will be an advertised three rounds at five minutes per round, atypical of championship fights in most other MMA promotions.

APFC 4 Co-Main Event Fighter Comparison

Heading into Sunday night’s title bout, Badmatsyren Dorzhiev stands as the taller man at 5-foot-7, compared to the 5-foot-4 frame of Keaneo Moyer. No reach information was made available at press time.

In addition, no betting odds are accessible for this card as of early Wednesday evening. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend, please wager responsibly.

“The Immortal Lotus” Makes American Debut in APFC 4 Co-Main Event

Badmatsyren Dorzhiev enters the APFC 4 co-main event having gone undefeated in his professional career at 6-0. Last time out, he scored a unanimous decision victory against Almanbet Abdvasy Uulu (11-6 MMA) in Brave CF 51 in June of 2021.

Dorzhiev was already supposed to have made his American debut last November during APFC 3 in a nontitle bout against James Dunn (5-5 MMA). This fight was called off ahead of the show amid the latter sustaining an injury. Now, six months later, he fights for a championship, but he does so after having spent time in jail.

“One year ago, I moved to a new country, spent three months in migration prison, [and] was released on bail without money, without documents,” Dorzhiev said in an interview. “Now, in four weeks, I will have the APFC belt!”

Ring rust is also a factor for “The Immortal Lotus” coming into the co-main event this weekend. He hasn’t fought in close to two years, but Dorzhiev is ready for his next conquest.

“I have not fought for a long time, I’m very hungry!” he said. “I want to show who Badmatsyren Dorzhiev is and represent a spiritually united nation. I’m ready!”

Dorzhiev’s home country of Russia is in an ongoing civil conflict with Ukraine, so in this time of war, can he bring his homeland together and take the belt back home with him after the APFC 4 co-main event? Watch to find out.

Keaneo Moyer Receives Championship Bid in APFC 4 Co-Main Event on Sunday Night

In the other corner, Keaneo Moyer enters the APFC 4 co-main event having posted a record of 2-3 in his last five fights. Most recently, he was defeated by Terrance Saeteurn (3-0 MMA) in A1 Combat 7 on Jan 13. Saeteurn is currently scheduled to appear during A1 Combat 10, its first-anniversary show, one week from Friday.

For Keaneo Moyer, the APFC 4 co-main event marks his first title shot in his ninth fight. About a year ago, he was to have fought for the A1 Combat Flyweight Championship versus Jack Duffy in A1 Combat 3, but that contest was scrubbed ahead of the event.

Moyer talked to the Mom’s Basement MMA YouTube channel about finally getting his shot at gold.

“It’s crazy because I had another fight offered,” Moyer began. “I actually had signed another contract. I was supposed to fight on March 26 in Sacramento at Dragon House MMA against a guy that had a record of 4-2. Terrance had beaten him when they were amateurs, so I was fighting a guy that Terrance had already beaten.”

Within a couple of days, APFC came calling with this title shot, so can Moyer capitalize on this opportunity?

Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction

Stylistically, the APFC 4 co-main event looks to favor Badmatsyren Dorzhiev, a freestyle wrestler, compared to Keaneo Moyer’s background as a balanced MMA fighter.

Badmatsyren Dorzhiev Can Wear Opponents Down

When a fight gets to the latter stages, Badmatsyren Dorzhiev tries to exhaust his adversaries, as was the case against Oleg Lichkovakha in 2020. During the fourth round of a scheduled five, he drove Lichkovakha down to the ground and grappled with him, sprinkling in ground and pound shots to the back of his head as the period continued.

Lichkovakha made it to the end of the round but was too gassed to continue beyond that point. If Dorzhiev can go deep into the APFC 4 co-main event, look for him to load up on strikes that could cause the end of the fight.

Moyer is Adept at Submissions

In the other corner, look out for Keaneo Moyer’s ground game in the APFC 4 co-main event. Mike Tubera was on the receiving end of a submission in 2021.

Moyer unloaded on a kick to the head to drop Tubera. setting up an attempted guillotine choke, yet Tubera briefly became the aggressor, landing punches to the face and a spinning back fist just prior to the former taking him down. At that point, it was Moyer’s world.

Moyer attempted two armbar submissions, with the second being the one that ended the fight. Tubera sustained a broken arm in the exchange.

If Moyer can dump Dorzhiev just once, he’ll walk out of the arena as the new champion.

Final Thoughts

With no other MMA going on inside the United States this Sunday night, you have no reason to skip APFC 4, especially with two title fights at the top of the show. Someone’s going to win the inaugural flyweight championship here. Who will it be?

Prediction: Keaneo Moyer by Unanimous Decision.