Clay Collard is heading to the 2023 PFL playoffs thanks to his crisp striking.
At 2023 PFL 6 at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, Collard (23-10) escaped the grappling attempts of Stevie Ray (25-13) to secure his spot in the playoffs. Collard’s striking became too much for Ray to handle in the second round, leading to a stoppage at 1:04.
Ray needed a finish in the first round to clinch a spot in the playoffs, whereas Collard needed a finish in any round to lock in his. Ray came out on fire in the grappling game, and quickly took Collard’s back. Remaining calm, Collard worked free and confidently got to work in the striking department while trying his best to turn away the ground game of his opponent.
In the second round, Collard’s punching stunned Ray, and the swarm was on. Ray dropped to the ground and attempted to grab a leglock, but Collard was wise to it and kept raining down hard punches until the referee stopped the fight.
Check out video of the finish below (via Twitter):
CLAY COLLARD UNLOADS! He is heading back to the #PFLPlayoffs!#PFLRegularSeason LIVE NOW
🇺🇸 ESPN & ESPN+
🌎https://t.co/jPNvomD5xg pic.twitter.com/PMpfplIin1— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 24, 2023
Collard won both of his 2023 regular season bouts. At 2023 PFL 3, he won a unanimous decision over Yamato Nishikawa to earn three points in the lightweight standings. Paired with his five-point stoppage of Ray, Collard clinched his spot in the 2023 playoffs.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2023, Week 6.
