No Boxing! Collard Would Kick ‘Fool’ Paul In The Head

ATLANTA, GEORGIA — Clay Collard is putting his boxing career to the side for now.

Kicking off the 2022 Professional Fighters League (PFL) in style, Collard threw down with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran, Jeremy Stephens, in the main event of April’s season opener event. Earning the unanimous decision nod in a fight praised as a “Fight of the Year” contender (watch highlights), Collard is back to headline the upcoming 2022 PFL 4 event opposite Alex Martinez tomorrow night (Fri., June 17, 2022).

Continually entertaining with each fight in the PFL, Collard attributes the increased delivery of violence to his professional boxing career, having boxed three times in 2021. However, he doesn’t have plans to return to the ring any time soon … even if for a match-up with one of the sport’s newest outspoken personalities.

“I think I’m gonna step away from boxing for a while,” Collard said at 2022 PFL 4 Media Day. “Any more now, they want me to fight these top, top dudes and unless I’m just training boxing, that’s tough to do, to switch back and forth so yeah. I think right now, my sole focus is on mixed martial arts, for sure.

“Jake Paul? I’d say let’s MMA fight so I can kick that fool in the head,” he concluded. “No comment [on Paul’s involvement in boxing].”

Currently with three points in the standings, Collard’s spot in the playoffs isn’t yet locked. Assuming all goes according to plan and he gets past Martinez, preferably in a quick fashion, Collard likes the idea of seeing Stephens once more but with the title on the line.

“No preference,” Collard said of a finals match-up he’d like. “We’ll see if Raush [Manfio] makes it past this guy (Olivier Aubin-Mercier). I’d love to fight Jeremy Stephens again, man. That one was a banger. His fighting style and my fighting style match up very well, we just like to slug it out so that’s who I’d like to fight again.”

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MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE results and real-time play-by-play coverage of the entire PFL 4 main card, which begins at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+. We’ll also provide quick results for the “Prelims” undercard on ESPN+, which will start streaming at 6 p.m. ET.

For more PFL 2022 news and notes click here.