Clay Collard is excited to get back into MMA.
In 2019 and 2020, Collard had 14 boxing fights and he became a big boxing star for Top Rank. He was beating a ton of top prospects but his goal was to return to MMA and now that the PFL is back, Collard is eager for the chance to show off his complete skill set.
“I’m very excited, boxing was fun but I’m a mixed martial artist. I show up to fight no matter what, and I show up to win,” Collard said to BJPENN.com. “I kept showing up and was beating top prospects and guys who were supposed to beat me. Now, though, I’m 100 percent focused on PFL and MMA. I’m also excited to throw knees and kicks again. In boxing, I’m so limited on what I can throw and what I like to do.”
When PFL’s lightweight roster was revealed, Collard said he wanted the toughest fight and asked for Pettis or Natan Schulte, who is the two-time champ. The pro boxer got his wish and he’s eager to share the cage with the former UFC champ.
“Honestly, I wanted him or the champ Schulte first. I was hoping for that, I’m in this game to fight the toughest guys. That’s why I do this,” Collard said. “I want to face the toughest guys there are and I’m excited I get Anthony Pettis first.”
Although Pettis is known as a kickboxer, Collard is well aware the majority of people in the PFL tournament will try and take him down. His boxing has gotten much better, but he says he still has been working on his wrestling and jiu-jitsu over the past two years.
On Friday night, Clay Collard is confident he will get the win over Pettis. But, he does expect it to hit the scorecards unless he catches the former UFC champ early.
“I would think so. I’m dangerous on the feet, but my ground game is very underrated, I’m ready wherever the fight goes,” Collard explained. “We are hoping it is a striking fight against Pettis. Throughout the fight, he will try and take me down. He’s still one of the best fighters in the world and I believe I’m one of the best so I’m ready to prove I’m one of the best. In the best-case scenario, I catch him early and put him away. Worse case scenario, I get caught early and get put away but I doubt that happens. It’s very possible this hits the scorecards.”
If Collard does get his hand raised, he knows it would be a statement win for him and let the lightweight division he will be a problem.
“I want to set the tone for the tournament. I think a lot of them aren’t worried about me and I’m planning to show that they should be worried and have a statement win,” Collard concluded.
Do you think Clay Collard will beat Anthony Pettis?