Clay Collard has earned a new nickname while competing inside the boxing ring.
The Professional Fighter League lightweight will meet Quincy LaVallais as part of the Shakur Stevenson vs. Toka Khan Clary card from The Bubble in Las Vegas at MGM Grand Convention Center. The entire card streams live on ESPN+.
Collard and LaVallais have a little history already, as they met in 2019 with the bout ending in a draw.
“I’ve been calling myself the ‘O’ collector,” Collard said during a Q&A with Fight Hub TV. “I had a shot to get his once and I guess I fell short. It’s going to be good to get that back and collect his ‘O’ and take his undefeated record.”
While he waits to enter into the PFL’s upcoming 2021 Regular Season as a lightweight, Collard will attempt to earn his sixth win in 2020 as a professional boxer. He has won five fights in a row and is now 9-2-3 in the sport competing at middleweight.
Collard, who grew up boxing before transitioning to MMA, will be looking to carry his successful calendar year into the most innovative and fastest growing league in the world, the PFL, when the season starts also on the ESPN family of networks early next year.
For Collard, his progression as a fighter has helped him become the athlete he is today.
“I’ve matured,” he said. “All I do is focus on my training and listen to my coach. I’ve been working on my boxing a lot. I am always going to be a fan-favorite fighter because I want to put on a show. Go out there and fight.
“I’m me. I’m going to go out there and smash him.”
Collard will be one of the favorites to capture the $1 million lightweight tournament in the PFL. He is 18-8 inside the cage and has won his last two MMA fights to go along with his impressive boxing streak.