Sanchez/Petties Tilt Caps Fight Fiesta Saturday in Milwaukee

A super Saturday of MMA continues in Milwaukee, WI when Anthony Pettis presents APFC 11 from Baird Center. Live coverage of APFC 11 begins Saturday afternoon at 4 pm ET/ 1 pm PT on the promotion’s official YouTube channel, continuing with the main card at 8:30 pm ET/ 5:30 pm PT on UFC Fight Pass.

If there are any remaining fights from the undercard after the main event, they’ll take place immediately after the main card at (approximately) 10:30 pm ET/ 7:30 pm PT on YouTube. Dubbed “Fight Fiesta”, Saturday’s event marks the promotion’s first card devoted to Latin competitors.  APFC 11 will (barring any late postponements or cancellations between now and Saturday) feature a packed slate of 21 fights.

🚨 APFC FIGHT FIESTA ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨

FIGHTERS ADDED TO MAY 25TH CARD

• Luis Guervara (ammy LW)
• Luis Rivera Santiago (FW)
• Alex Mosier (BW)
• Danny Morales (WW)
• Yasir Ramos (FW)
• Garrett Carlson (WW)@anthonypettisfc @Showtimepettis pic.twitter.com/UwWZX21vGc

— Vinny Talks (@vinnytalks_) April 20, 2024

In addition, as has been the case with past APFC cards, APFC 11 will feature guest appearances. This week, Marlon Vera and Jose Aldo, both of the UFC, will hold a meet and greet session before the show, along with a guest spot during the main card itself.

Seasoned Veterans Square Off in APFC 11 Main Event

Highlighting the night’s activities is a lightweight showcase in the APFC 11 main event. 30-fight veteran and former competitor in Bellator MMA Emmanuel Sanchez (21-9 MMA, APFC promotional debut) gets a “home game” when he fights PFL and Contender Series alumnus Peter Petties (10-7, 1 NC MMA, 1-0 APFC.)

With no championship at stake on Saturday night, the APFC 11 main event will be an advertised three rounds at five minutes per round to close the show.

APFC 11 Main Event Fighter Comparison

Heading into the APFC 11 main event on Saturday night, Peter Petties stands as the taller contender at 5-foot-10, compared to the 5-foot-9 frame of Emmanuel Sanchez. Petties owns a one-inch reach advantage (71 inches to 70 inches) over Sanchez ahead of this lightweight showcase.

Currently, no betting odds have been released for APFC 11 on Saturday night. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend, please wager responsibly.

Sanchez With “Home Game” After Quick Turnaround in APFC 11 Main Event

Emmanuel Sanchez has posted a 1-4 record in his last five fights. Last month, he scored a unanimous decision victory after three rounds against Daniel Salas (20-8-1 MMA) during XFC 50 in Lakeland, FL.

After the fight, Sanchez talked with Carlos Perruzza, mentioning that he wasn’t that pleased with the result of the  contest that evening.

“We fight to finish,” Sanchez began. “I wanted the stoppage real bad, but, man, he is one tough mother lover, I’ll give you that one for sure. I knew that one coming in, man. We’re Mexicans, man. We don’t quit. He fights Mexican-style, and I wasn’t trying to get into that kind of a bloody war. I’m a warrior, but I’m also… the bull is stronger, but the matador is smarter. I was definitely trying to be the more cerebral fighter out there.”

Sanchez last fought on the night of April 12. By the time he walks into the arena in Milwaukee on Saturday night for the APFC 11 main event, just 43 days will have passed between fights. It goes without saying that this is a quick turnaround for his camp.

The good news is that he fights out of Milwaukee, where APFC 11 is based over the weekend . Will fighting out of his own backyard be beneficial to Sanchez on Saturday? Tune into the APFC 11 main event and find out.

Peter Petties Returns After 10 Months Away Saturday Night

In the other corner, Peter Petties has posted a record of 2-3 in his last five fights. Most recently, he bested Robert Hale (14-8 MMA, 0-1 APFC) in APFC 6 in July of last year. A key storyline here is the discrepancy of the length in the layoff between fights for the two men.

While Emmanuel Sanchez has only had 43 days in-between competitions, Peter Petties has been out of action since July 16, 2023. That’s a layoff of 314 days by the time he gets into the cage this week.

He hasn’t fought on a regular basis since 2021, when he had two fights between MMA and bare-knuckle boxing from June to December of that year. When a fighter has been out of the cage for close to a year, like Peter Petties has been, it isn’t always easy to get back in the mix.

How much ring rust is there for Peter Petties? Will the long layoff be detrimental? The answers will come this weekend.

Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction

Stylistically, the APFC 11 main event looks to favor Emmanuel Sanchez, a black belt in both karate and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, compared to Peter Petties’ background as a Wu-Tang Shaolin fighter.

Sanchez Can Better His Position

If Emmanuel Sanchez happens to get taken down in the APFC 11 main event on Saturday night, he can create offense from the bottom position, like he did versus Ty-wan Claxton in 2019.

During the second round of the fight, Claxton dumped Sanchez, but he immediately turned the tide with a flurry of ground and pound shots on bottom. From there, Sanchez grabbed Claxton’s arm, placing his leg close to his opponent’s head, cutting off Claxton’s circulation.

Even though Claxton used the fence advantageously, Sanchez rained down more elbow shots before applying the torque to finish off a triangle choke with 49 seconds to go in the period. All Sanchez needs to do is land elbow shots from the bottom if he’s on the receiving end of a takedown in the APFC 11 main event on Saturday because he could get an opening to score a submission.

Will Petties Pour it On?

In the other corner, there are moments in MMA fights where the action pans out like a key play in a football game. The right play-calling can make all the difference. Peter Petties knows this firsthand because he used a punch to the head to set up a knockout in 2015.

During the second round of his fight against Brandon Pennington that February, Petties gestured to Pennington as if to say “Let me put you on the canvas.” Upon landing a single punch, Petties knocked Pennington down, proceeding to land an unrelenting barrage of strikes before the referee waved off the fight.

If Peter Petties lands that crisp punch, it’s game on in the APFC 11 main event.

Final Thoughts

With the UFC dark this coming weekend, these two have a prime slot to show what they can do. Don’t miss it.

Prediction: Emmanuel Sanchez by Second-Round Submission.