APFC 6 Main Event Breakdown

While most people will spend Sunday night preparing for the week ahead, 34 MMA fighters will be hard at work in Richmond, VA for a full evening of action. Anthony “Showtime" Pettis wears the promoter"s cap once again this weekend for APFC 6 and the APFC 6 main event.

We’re expanding to Virginia!#APFC is coming to Richmond July 16th with a mega 15+ fight card.

Tickets are available now at: https://t.co/whExqjoxWL pic.twitter.com/epAQJFB6yr

— APFC by Anthony Pettis (@anthonypettisfc) June 18, 2023

Live coverage of APFC 6 begins Sunday afternoon at 3 pm ET/ 2 pm CT from the Greater Richmond Convention Center with the undercard on the official APFC YouTube channel. Main card action follows at 7 pm ET/ 6 pm CT on the UFC"s official subscription-based streamer, UFC Fight Pass before returning to YouTube for the remaining undercard fights after the main event.

Much like last month in APFC 5, where Jon Jones was the special guest, APFC has booked another big name for this week"s card. Sergio Pettis, who re-signed with Bellator MMA on Thursday

All told, barring any late cancellations between now and then, APFC 6 features a whopping 17 fights on Sunday afternoon and evening. Supremacy at 170 lbs. is at stake in the APFC 6 main event.

Petties Takes On Hale Sunday in Richmond

Highlighting the card is a welterweight champi9onship attraction matching Peter Petties (9-7, 1 NC MMA, APFC promotional debut) with Robert Hale (14-6 MMA, APFC promotional debut.) This main event is an advertised maximum of three rounds at five minutes per round to close the show.

APFC 6 Main Event Fighter Comparison

Heading into the APFC 6 main event on Sunday night, Robert Hale stands as the taller man at 5-foot-11, compared to the 5-foot-10 frame of Peter Petties. In addition, Hale owns a four-inch reach advantage (75 inches to 71 inches) over Petties.

Ordinarily, at this point in the breakdown, we"d mention which of these two men are favored on the money line, however, no such information existed online at press time. If you plan on betting on any fight happening over the weekend, please wager responsibly.

PFL Alum Peter Petties Back in Action in APFC 6 Main Event

Peter Petties, formerly of the PFL, has posted a record of 2-3 in his last five fights. He"s coming off of a 13-month hiatus, having most recently dropped a split decision against Ivey Nixon (6-4 MMA) in iKON FC 3 in June of last year.

Recently, Petties was interviewed by MMASucka"s Brian Knight about why he"s been out so long.

“We had a few opportunities outside of APFC," Petties mentioned. “So we had a short-notice PFL [fight]. We had a Cage Warriors opportunity, but the timing just wasn"t right, but when they came with this matchup, the timing actually made sense. For me, honestly, [timing] is the biggest thing. I left my old management company, as well as my old team, because of just missed opportunities. I"ve had a bunch of fights fall through, where I"ve been told there"s no opponent."

Having a year away from the cage is far from ideal. How much ring rust does he have going into the APFC 6 main event? Only time will tell.

Robert Hale Looking to Run Winning Streak to Four

In the other corner, Robert Hale has gone 4-1 in his last five contests. At present, he"s on a three-fight winning streak. An alum of both the PFL and Cage Fury, he knocked out Warren Smith (9-15 MMA) 14 seconds into the second round back in February.

MMA wasn"t always his athletic discipline, however. Hale was first captivated by the gridiron, as he disclosed in 2016.

“My coaches wanted me to get bigger to play linebacker," Hale said at the time. “So all I did was eat, drink protein shakes, and lift weights, and then I got fat. In college, I prepared for spring training, and I got huge. My arms and face were big, but I was athletic. I didn"t know I wanted to fight until football ended."

A four-fight winning streak might be enough to get Robert Hale noticed by a major MMA promotion. Can he improve his stock with a victory?

Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction

Stylistically, the APFC 6 main event looks to favor Peter Petties, a Wu-Tang Shaolin fighter, compared to Robert Hale"s status as a striker.

Petties Can End the Show Quickly

One aspect of Peter Petties" fight game that"s showed up on video is his ability to write a quick finish to the story. One need look no further than the second round of his fight against Brandon Pennington.

Right from the command to fight, Petties stalked Pennington, with the latter baiting him to land a kick. Once he kicked Pennington, it was all over but the shouting.

A relentless flurry of ground and pound shots ended the fight in less than a minute. If Petties can drop Hale, the APFC 6 main event could be his.

Don"t Discount Hale"s Ability to Land the Big Shots

In the other corner, Robert Hale is also a proficient striker. The first round of his NFC fight against John Cobb is a textbook example.

Immediately after the fight got underway, Hale absorbed a number of leg kicks from Cobb, but returned fire with a right-handed punch to send Cobb down. Even though Hale landed some decent ground and pound, he allowed Cobb to return to his feet. This was the first of three knockdowns for Hale.

Once he gets his opponent to the mat, Hale"s mission is one to seek and destroy.

Final Thoughts

The APFC 6 main event looks to be a wildly-entertaining fight with a belt on the line. Don"t miss it.

Prediction: Robert Hale by First-Round Knockout.