Editor’s note: This article was originally published on MMAJunkie.USAToday.com.
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Claressa Shields may have some competition in the race for crossover champion status.
While the two-time Olympic gold medalist made waves with her recent PFL signing, the promotion already has another professional boxer under contract, as well: UFC veteran “Cassius” Clay Collard.
“I love any kind of combat sport, man,” Collard told MMA Junkie. “I’m passionate about it all.”
Collard is best known to MMA fans for a four-fight UFC run that included a promotional debut against future featherweight champion Max Holloway. While he would return to the regional stage following his 2015 release from the promotion, Collard has turned his attention to a pro boxing run in the past 18 months or so – and is currently enjoying some success with nine wins in his past 10 appearances.
“I boxed at a young age,” Collard said. “I love boxing. For me, this has been like kind of getting back to my roots and where I started all this. So I’ve really enjoyed boxing, and it’s something that I love to do.”
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On Saturday, Collard (18-8 MMA, 9-2-3 boxing) looks to build on his recent achievements when he takes on Quincy LaVallais (9-0-1) at The Bubble at MGM Grand in Las Vegas in a rematch of a June 2019 meeting that ended in a split draw. The Top Rank undercard bout streams on ESPN+ ahead of Shakur Stevenson vs. Toka Kahn Clary on ESPN.
“I thought I won,” Collard said of the first meeting. “I’m sure he thinks he won. I don’t know how he thinks he won, but he thinks he did. I think he’s trying to jump on the Clay Collard hype train right now, trying to derail me a little bit because I started making a name for myself and started fighting Top Rank, and now he just wants to jump in and try and steal all the glory, and I’m not about to let that happen.
“He’s getting the best Clay Collard there’s ever been. I’ve been training harder than ever. My diet’s down. I’ve been eating right, working hard every day, so he’s going to get the best version of me yet.”
During his current run, Collard has already handed four previously unbeaten fighters their first loss, and he says he looks forward to adding another name to that list. But while he’s enjoying quite the run in “the sweet science,” he’ll be back in four-ounce gloves next April as part of PFL’s 2021 season.
Collard thinks the time he’s spent focusing on boxing has helped him become a better mixed martial artist, as well.