Clay Collard was but a breath away from a million-dollar payday at the conclusion of the 2023 Professional Fighters League season. Some seven months later, he has returned to the scene and seems intent on accomplishing the mission.
The well-traveled 31-year-old will do battle with former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder Mads Burnell in the PFL 5 lightweight headliner this Friday at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City. Collard climbs into the cage having won four of his past six fights. He last appeared on April 12, when he buried onetime Bellator MMA champion Patricky Freire with second-round punches, pocketed five points and put himself atop the 155-pound standings.