Clay_Collard

Clay Collard

Clay Collard

American mixed martial arts fighter

Clay Collard (born March 10, 1993) is an American professional mixed martial artist and former Professional boxer. A professional since 2011, he formerly competed for the UFC. He currently competes in the lightweight division of the Professional Fighters League.

Quick Facts Born, Other names ...

Background

Collard grew up in Castle Dale, Utah.[4] Collard started wrestling at the age of six, picking up boxing at the age of 11.[5] Collard attended Emery High School, where he lettered in wrestling.[3]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Collard took his first and only amateur mixed martial arts bout less than two weeks after his 18th birthday.[3] He won the bout via 12-second knockout and subsequently turned professional to fight the next weekend.[3] Collard competed solely in Utah regional circuit, amassing a 13–4 (1 NC) record before being signed to the UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Collard made his promotional debut on August 23, 2014 as a short notice replacement against Max Holloway at UFC Fight Night 49, replacing an injured Mirsad Bektic.[6] Collard lost the fight via TKO in the third round.[7]

Collard next faced Alex White on December 6, 2014 at UFC 181.[8] Collard won the fight via unanimous decision.[9]

Collard faced Gabriel Benítez on June 13, 2015 at UFC 188.[10] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[11]

Collard was expected to face Andre Fili on September 5, 2015 at UFC 191.[12] However, Fili was forced out of the bout with injury and replaced by Tiago Trator.[13] Collard lost the fight by split decision and was subsequently released from the promotion.[14]

Collard was expected to headline LFA 75 against Arthur Estrázulas on September 6, 2019 but withdrew from the bout due to a short notice call from the UFC. After four years away from UFC, Collard returned to the promotion and was scheduled to face Devonte Smith on August 17, 2019 at UFC 241 replacing John Makdessi.[15] However, on the fight week news surfaced that Collard withdrew from the fight due to an undisclosed reason and was replaced by promotional newcomer Khama Worthy.[16] Following the ordeal, Collard was released from the promotion again.

Professional Fighters League

In March 2020, Collard signed with Professional Fighters League and competes in the lightweight division.[17] He was expected to participate in the season 2020 but due to COVID-19 pandemic the league cancelled the whole season.

2021 season

Collard made his PFL debut against Anthony Pettis on April 23, 2021 at PFL 1.[18] He won the bout via unanimous decision, out boxing Pettis throughout the bout.[19]

Collard faced Joilton Lutterbach at PFL 4 on June 10, 2021.[20] He won the bout via split decision.[21]

Collard faced Raush Manfio in the semifinals of the Lightweight tournament on August 13, 2021 at PFL 7.[22] Collard lost the bout via unanimous decision.[23]

2022 season

Collard faced Jeremy Stephens on April 20, 2022 at PFL 1.[24] In a back and forth affair, Collard won the bout via unanimous decision.[25]

Collard faced Alexander Martinez on June 17, 2022 at PFL 4.[26] He lost the close bout via split decision.[27]

2023 season

Collard faced Yamato Nishikawa on April 14, 2023 at PFL 3.[28] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[29]

Collard faced Stevie Ray on June 23, 2023 at PFL 6.[30] He won the fight via TKO in the second round.[31]

Collard faced Shane Burgos in the semi-finals of the lightweight tournament on August 23, 2023, at PFL 9.[32] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[33]

In the final, Collard faced Olivier Aubin-Mercier on November 24, 2023 at PFL 10.[34] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[35]

2024 season

Collard faced former Bellator Featherweight champion A. J. McKee on February 24, 2024, at PFL vs. Bellator.[36] He lost in the first round by armbar submission.[37][38]

Collard started the 2024 season with a bout against former Bellator Lightweight champion Patricky Pitbull on April 12, 2024 at PFL 2.[39] He won the fight by second round technical knockout.[40]

Professional boxing career

Collard was initially training boxing only to improve his offensive striking skills for mixed martial arts.[3] However, he needed money to fix his car so he opted to take a short-notice professional boxing match.[3] He made his professional boxing debut in 2017, winning via split decision.[41]

Championships and accomplishments

  • Showdown Fights
    • Showdown Fights Lightweight Championship (One time)
  • SteelFist Fight Night 
    • SteelFist Fight Night Lightweight Championship (One time)
      • One successful title defense
    • SteelFist Fight Night Welterweight Championship (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
38 matches 25 wins 12 losses
By knockout 12 1
By submission 3 4
By decision 10 7
No contests 1
More information Res., Record ...

Professional boxing record

More information 18 fights, 9 wins ...
More information No., Result ...

See also

References

  1. [1]
    https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Clay-Collard-78465
  2. [2]
    "Fight Card - UFC 188 Velasquez vs. Werdum". UFC.com. Archived from the original on June 13, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
  3. [3]
    Steve Kim (July 13, 2020). "How former UFC fighter Clay Collard became a boxing phenomenon in 2020". ESPN.
  4. [4]
    Chris Mannix (July 14, 2020). "How Former UFC Fighter Clay Collard Became Boxing's Unlikely Star". Sports Illustrated.
  5. [5]
    Thomas Gerbasi (December 4, 2014). "Clay Collard: Round Two Begins". Ultimate Fighting Championship.
  6. [6]
    Staff (2014-08-18). "Mirsad Bektic out, newcomer Clay Collard meets Max Holloway at UFC Fight Night 49". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2014-08-18.
  7. [7]
    Fox Sports. "Max Holloway puts away late replacement Clay Collard by 3rd round TKO". FOX Sports.
  8. [8]
    MMA Fighting Newswire (October 16, 2014). "Alex White vs. Clay Collard set for UFC 181". mmafighting.com. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  9. [9]
    "UFC 181 Results: Clay Collard Outstrikes Alex White In Entertaining Scrap". FanSided. 6 December 2014.
  10. [10]
    Jason Floyd (2015-03-28). "Clay Collard vs. Gabriel Benitez set for UFC 188". themmareport.com. Retrieved 2015-03-28.
  11. [11]
    Ben Fowlkes (2015-06-13). "UFC 188 results: Mexico's Gabriel Benitez batters Clay Collard for unanimous decision". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-06-13.
  12. [12]
    Staff (2015-08-06). "UFC 191 adds Andre Fili vs. Clay Collard". themmareport.com. Retrieved 2015-08-06.
  13. [13]
    Staff (2015-08-13). "Tiago Trator replaces Andre Fili, meets Clay Collard at UFC 191". themmareport.com. Retrieved 2015-08-13.
  14. [14]
    Steven Marrocco (2015-09-05). "UFC 191 results, highlights: Tiago Trator gets past Clay Collard with close split decision". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
  15. [15]
    "Clay Collard replaces John Makdessi vs. Devonte Smith at UFC 241". MMA Junkie. 2019-08-05. Retrieved 2019-08-06.
  16. [16]
    Adam Guillen Jr. (August 13, 2019). "Clay Collard forced out of UFC 241, Devonte Smith now faces Khama Worthy in Anaheim". mmamania.com.
  17. [17]
    Marrocco, Steven (2020-03-12). "UFC vet Cezar Ferreira signs with PFL". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  18. [18]
    Head, Simon (23 February 2021). "Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Collard to headline PFL 2021 season opener". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  19. [19]
    Anderson, Jay (2021-04-23). "PFL 1 Results: Clay Collard's Boxing All the Difference in Win Over Anthony Pettis". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
  20. [20]
    "Anthony Pettis to headline 2021 PFL 4 as lightweights, featherweights get second fights". MMA Junkie. 2021-05-13. Retrieved 2021-05-14.
  21. [21]
    Sherdog.com. "PFL 4 2021 Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring". Sherdog. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
  22. [22]
    Newswire, MMA Fighting (2021-07-20). "PFL playoff cards announced with first event kicking off Aug. 13 with Rory MacDonald vs. Ray Cooper in main event". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
  23. [23]
    "Ray Cooper locks up PFL championship rematch against Magomed Magomedkerimov". ESPN.com. 2021-08-13. Retrieved 2021-08-14.
  24. [24]
    "Manfio vs. Madge to headline PFL season kickoff". ESPN.com. 2022-03-22. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  25. [25]
    Anderson, Jay (2022-04-20). "PFL 1 2022: Jeremy Stephens and Clay Collard Engage in Back-and-Forth Brawl". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
  26. [26]
    "Collard to face Martinez in PFL second round". ESPN.com. 2022-05-18. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
  27. [27]
    Anderson, Jay (2022-06-18). "Alex Martinez Edges Out Clay Collard in Thrilling PFL 4 Main Event". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-06-18.
  28. [28]
    Head, Simon (6 March 2023). "Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Shane Burgos to headline PFL 3 in Las Vegas". Fighters Only. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  29. [29]
    "PFL 3 highlight videos: Clay Collard wins scrappy war with Yamato Nishikawa". Bloody Elbow. 2023-04-14. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  30. [30]
    Lee, Alexander K. (2023-05-12). "PFL announces second-half event lineups following 9 fighters receiving drug test suspensions". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
  31. [31]
    Al-Shatti, Shaun (2023-06-24). "PFL 6 results: Olivier Aubin-Mercier advances with wicked knee knockout; Shane Burgos misses playoffs". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
  32. [32]
    "2023 PFL PLAYOFF CARDS FINALIZED FOR NEW YORK CITY AUGUST 18 & 23". Professional Fighters League. July 12, 2023.
  33. [33]
    "PFL 9 Playoff Results: Collard and Burgos put on a war!". Bloody Elbow. 2023-08-23. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  34. [34]
    "Meet the 2023 PFL finalists, including three potential repeat $1 million winners". MMA Junkie. 2023-08-25. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  35. [35]
    Anderson, Jay (2023-11-25). "Olivier Aubin-Mercier Bests Clay Collard, Earns Back-to-Back Titles at 2023 PFL Championship". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-11-26.
  36. [36]
    "Latest PFL vs. Bellator 'Seize the Throne' fight card, rumors for Saudi Arabia event". mmamania.com.
  37. [37]
    "PFL vs. Bellator video: A.J. McKee runs over Clay Collard in 70 seconds with slick triangle armbar". mmafighting.com.
  38. [38]
    Dewar, Val (2024-02-24). "PFL vs. Bellator: AJ McKee Dazzles, Armbars Clay Collard". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  39. [39]
    Cruz, Guilherme (2024-03-11). "PFL announces full line-ups for first 3 season events, 8 ex-Bellator champions debut". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
  40. [40]
    Anderson, Jay (2024-04-13). "Clay Collard Survives Early Knockdown to Stop Patricky Pitbull at PFL 2". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  41. [41]
    "Please login".
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