Clay Collard (born March 10, 1993) is an American professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

and

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: *Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom *Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe eel, ...

. A professional since 2011, he formerly competed for the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. He currently competes in the lightweight division of the

Professional Fighters League The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is an American mixed martial arts league founded by venture capitalist Donn Davis in 2017 and launched in 2018, following the acquisition and restructuring of the former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) promo ...

Background

Collard grew up in

Castle Dale, Utah Castle Dale is a city in northwestern Emery County, Utah, United States. The population was 1,630 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Emery County. History The first settlement at Castle Dale was made in 1879. Geography Castle ...

. Collard started wrestling at the age of six, picking up boxing at the age of 11. Collard attended Emery High School, where he lettered in wrestling.

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. He won the bout via 12-second knockout and subsequently turned professional to fight the next weekend. Collard competed solely in

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

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 Jerome Max Keli'i Holloway (born December 4, 1991) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2010, Holloway became the ...

UFC Fight Night 49 ''UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 49'') was a mixed martial arts event held on August 23, 2014, at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Background The event was headlined by Lightweight contenders Benson ...

, replacing an injured Mirsad Bektic. Collard lost the fight via TKO in the third round. Collard next faced Alex White on December 6, 2014 at UFC 181. Collard won the fight via unanimous decision. Collard faced

Gabriel Benítez Gabriel Apolinar Benítez (born June 15, 1988) is a Mexican mixed martial artist. He was a contestant on '' The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 1'', and he competes in the featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Ba ...

on June 13, 2015 at

UFC 188 ''UFC 188: Velasquez vs. Werdum'' was a mixed martial arts event held on June 13, 2015, at Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City, Mexico. Background The event was headlined by a UFC Heavyweight Championship unification bout between then champio ...

. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. Collard was expected to face

Andre Fili Andre Riley Givens (born June 25, 1990) better known by the name Andre Fili is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Featherweight division. Fili is of Samoan and Native Hawaiian descent and is currently signed with the Ultimate ...

on September 5, 2015 at

UFC 191 ''UFC 191: Johnson vs. Dodson 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held on September 5, 2015, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background Initially, a UFC Light Heavyweight Championship bout between current champion Daniel Cormie ...

. However, Fili was forced out of the bout with injury and replaced by Tiago Trator. Collard lost the fight by split decision and was subsequently released from the promotion. 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 ''UFC 241: Cormier vs. Miocic 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 17, 2019 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Background A UFC Heavyweight Championship rematch betw ...

replacing

John Makdessi John Makdessi (born May 3, 1985) is a Canadian professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Makdessi was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on May 3, 1985, ...

. 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. Following the ordeal, Collard was released from the promotion again.

Professional Fighters League

In March 2020, Collard signed with

and competes in the lightweight division. He was expected to participate in the season 2020 but due to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickl ...

pandemic the league cancelled the whole season. He is currently competing in the 2021 season.

2021 season

Collard made his PFL debut against

Anthony Pettis Anthony Paul Pettis (born January 27, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to the Professional Fighters League. Pettis formerly fought in the Welterweight, Lightweight, and Featherweight divisions of th ...

on April 23, 2021 at PFL 1. He won the bout via unanimous decision, out boxing Pettis throughout the bout. Collard faced Joilton Lutterbach at PFL 4 on June 10, 2021. He won the bout via split decision. Collard faced Raush Manfio in the semifinals of the Lightweight tournament on August 13, 2021 at PFL 7. Collard lost the bout via unanimous decision.

2022 season

Collard faced

Jeremy Stephens Jeremy Stephens (born May 26, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of Professional Fighters League (PFL). A professional since 2005, he spent 15 years and competed in 33 bouts in the UF ...

on April 20, 2022 at PFL 1. In a back and forth affair, Collard won the bout via unanimous decision. Collard faced Alexander Martinez on June 17, 2022 at PFL 4. He lost the close bout via split decision.

Professional boxing career

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

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

, - , Loss , align=center, 21–10 (1) , Alexander Martinez , Decision (split) , PFL 4 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

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Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Tarrant County. It forms part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and is a principal city of the metropolis and region. ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 20–9 (1) , Raush Manfio , Decision (unanimous) , PFL 7 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Hollywood, Florida Hollywood is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. As of July 1, 2019, Hollywood had a population of 154,817. Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is no ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–8 (1) , Joilton Lutterbach , Decision (split) , PFL 4 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–8 (1) , Randall Wallace , Decision (unanimous) , Final Fight Championship 35: Egli vs. Holt , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–8 (1) , Lucas Montoya , TKO (punches) , SteelFist Fight Night: March Madness , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:30 ,

Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–8 (1) ,

Darrick Minner Darrick Minner (born April 28, 1990) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Born in Auburn, Nebraska and raised in Nebraska City, Minner wrestled at Nebras ...

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , Final Fight Championship 33: Chub vs. Vrtačić , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:32 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–7 (1) , Carson Gregory , Submission (triangle choke) , SteelFist Fight Night 57 - Friday the 13th , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:07 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–7 (1) , Troy Dennison , TKO (punches) , SteelFist Fight Night 55: Opposites Attack , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:46 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–7 (1) , Tiago Trator , Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–6 (1) ,

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Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley of ...

, Mexico , , - , Win , align=center, 14–5 (1) , Alex White , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 181 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–5 (1) ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:47 ,

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma and List of United States cities by population, 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4 (1) , Nick Compton , Decision (unanimous) , Showdown Fights 14: Heavyweight Collision , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Orem, Utah Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the northern part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is approximately south of Salt Lake City. Orem is one of the principal cities of the Provo-Orem, Utah Me ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–4 (1) , Jason Brenton , Decision (unanimous) , Showdown Fights 13: Lopez vs. Castillo , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–4 (1) ,

Justin Buchholz Justin Buchholz (born August 22, 1983) is a Filipino- American former mixed martial arts fighter. A professional from 2005 until 2018, he fought in the UFC, World Series of Fighting, Background Buchholz graduated from Lathrop High School (Alas ...

, Decision (split) , Showdown Fights 12: Buchholz vs. Collard 2 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , NC , align=center, 10–4 (1) , Jordan Clements , No Contest , Showdown Fights 10: Collard vs. Clements , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:08 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–4 , Steve Sharp , TKO (punches) , Showdown Fights 9: Buchholz vs. Castillo , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:44 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–4 ,

, Submission (guillotine choke) , Showdown Fights 8: Burkman vs. Yager , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:35 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–3 , Steve Walser , TKO (punches) , Showdown Fights 7: Uprising , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:44 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–3 , Scott Casey , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Rocky Mountain Fight Championships 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:36 ,

Vernal, Utah Vernal, the county seat and largest city in Uintah County is in northeastern Utah, approximately east of Salt Lake City and west of the Colorado border. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,089. The population has since grown to ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–3 , Dustin Collins , TKO (retirement) , Rocky Mountain Fight Championships 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–3 , Luke Pierce , TKO (punches) , Flash Academy MMA: Fight Night Explosion , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:47 ,

Price, Utah Price is a city in the U.S. state of Utah and the county seat of Carbon County. The city is home to Utah State University Eastern, as well as the USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum. Price is located within short distances of both Nine Mile Canyon and ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–3 , Drayton Woods , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Crown Fighting Championships 4 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:07 ,

St. George, Utah St. George is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Utah, United States. Located in southwestern Utah on the Arizona border, it is the principal city of the St. George Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The city lies in the no ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–3 , David Castillo , Decision (unanimous) , Jeremy Horn's Elite Fight Night 14 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Lehi, Utah Lehi ( ) is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is named after Lehi, a prophet in the Book of Mormon. The population was 75,907 at the 2020 census, up from 47,407 in 2010. The rapid growth in Lehi is due, in part, to the rapid develo ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–2 , Oliver Parker , Decision (unanimous) , Moab Combat Sports: Red Rock Rumble 4 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Moab, Utah Moab () is the largest city and county seat of Grand County in eastern Utah in the western United States, known for its dramatic scenery. The population was 5,366 at the 2020 census. Moab attracts many tourists annually, mostly visitors to th ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , Kyle Herrera , TKO (corner stoppage) , Fight King: Fight for the Cops , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:54 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–1 , Jose Salgado , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Crown Fighting Championships 3 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:38 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Kevin Hamby Jacobson , TKO (punches) , Flash Academy MMA: Mayhem & Motocross MMA Fight Night , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:10 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Kaifah Detoles , TKO (punches) , Fight Kings 7: No Mercy , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:02 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Daniel Ruiz , TKO (punches) , Moab Combat Sports: Red Rock Rumble 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:11 ,

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Professional boxing record

References

External links

Clay Collard
at PFL * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Collard, Clay Living people 1993 births American male boxers Boxers from Utah Super-middleweight boxers American male mixed martial artists Featherweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling People from Payson, Utah People from Price, Utah Mixed martial artists from Utah Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters