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Clay Collard: I want to give Quincy Lavallais his first defeat

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Middleweight Clay Collard. Photo credit: Mikey Williams/top position

by Francisco Salazar |

With the ongoing pandemic and unstable economy dominating most of 2020, Clay Collard managed to keep fighting. It’s in his blood.

Although Collard had a modest mixed martial arts career, his success in the ring this year has given him the confidence to pursue boxing full-time.

Collard will face undefeated Quincy Lavallais on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The eight-round fight will be broadcast live on ESPN+ (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m.). In the main event of the Top Rank gala, former WBO featherweight world champion and junior lightweight title challenger Shakur Stevenson will face Toka Kahn Clary in a 10-round fight.

Collard (9-2-3, 4 knockouts) and LaVallais were scheduled to fight on October 17 in support of the lightweight world title unification fight between Teofimo Lopez and Vasily Lomachenko, but the fight was postponed after both fighters tested positive for presence of Covid-19.

Collard and LaVallais first met on June 29 of last year in Lavaillais’ hometown of Recent Orleans, Louisiana, fighting to a draw. Since the fight with Collard, LaVallais (9-0-1, 5 KO) has won two fights, both by knockout against an average opponent. Collard believes he did enough to beat LaVallais in the first fight and is highly motivated to leave no doubt to the judges on Saturday night.

“I’m just excited to fight again. I just love fighting,” Collard told The Ring on Thursday morning. “We fought once before when he was undefeated. I want to give him the first loss. I just want to go in there and fight. I’m going to give him that loss.

Since losing to undefeated super middleweight prospect Bektemir Melikuziev on November 2 last year, the 27-year-old has won five straight fights. After defeating Quashawn Toler via unanimous decision on January 3, Collard overcame a first-round knockout to defeat previously undefeated Raymond Guajardo on February 1.

Collard scored a victory over another undefeated fighter in his next fight over four months later, defeating David Kaminski by split decision. Less than four weeks later, on July 14, Collard stopped Lorawnt T. Nelson of South Africa three times before finishing the fight in Round 2. In his last fight, which took place on August 22, Collard stopped the once beaten Maurice Williams in Round 2.

Collard’s willingness to fight frequently and his aggressive style made him a favorite among boxing fans. Despite the difficulties at the beginning of his career, Collard believes he is recovering and is ecstatic to continue to enjoy his good run.

Clay Collard (standing far right) vs. Lorawnt T. Nelson.  Photo credit: Mikey Williams/top position

Clay Collard (standing far right) vs. Lorawnt T. Nelson. Photo credit: Mikey Williams/top position

“That’s what we’re working on,” said Collard, who has just one win in his first five fights. “We took on these complex battles early. We have always strived for success and now it has finally become a reality. Did I expect [my popularity] explode like he did? Probably not, but that was my coach’s vision. I just show up and fight.

“I hope fans will like my working-class style and humility. I come from a petite town in the middle of Utah. I grew up boxing in the basement of the Elks Lodge. I traveled around the United States meeting people at amateur tournaments. I hope people get something out of me because I am humble and can work strenuous to succeed.

As a mixed martial arts fighter, Collard was scheduled to fight this year in the Professional Fighters League (PFL), where he competes in the lightweight division. The league was suspended for 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

After Saturday’s fight against LaVallais, Collard is under contract to fight in the PFL next year. After fulfilling his obligations to the PFL, Collard wants to return to boxing full-time, hoping to build on his recent success.

“I would like to have a few more fights in Top Rank before I move full-time to PFL,” Collard said. “I have a PFL tournament and I hope I win. I’m going to work strenuous and give my all, but I would like to focus back on boxing. I think I have a good chance of winning belts in this sport. I’m sure I will have doubts like every other fighter, but I want to show that I can work strenuous and give my all after moving from PFL to boxing.”

While some fighters can develop a cocky attitude after a winning streak or a fight on a platform like ESPN, Collard remains level-headed and focused on success. He still maintains contact with his family in his hometown of Castle Dale, Utah, and currently resides in Burley, Idaho.

Collard appreciates the fan base that has grown over the past year, but he appreciates even more the interaction with his hometown neighbors.

“I have a pretty good fan base that has grown in Utah and Idaho over the last year. I still talk to my friends with whom I went to high school. They look and send me messages: “Great job.” It’s a great feeling that they are watching you and supporting you. Back to Burley, I play pick-up basketball with people who have never watched boxing before. I also teach boxing and MMA classes. I work with many juvenile children who have never seen this sport on TV.

“With everything I’ve been through and the support I’ve received, especially this past year, I’m very excited and blessed for the opportunities I’m receiving.”

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MMA

Demetrious Johnson equaled Anderson Silva’s UFC title defense record

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by Kendrick E. Johnson |

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson defended his flyweight title at UFC “Fight Night Kansas City,” looking to stop challenger Wilson Reis and make UFC history.

After beating Reis from the opening bell and submitting him via armbar at 4:49 of the third round, Johnson did exactly what he wanted. With this victory, Johnson has now won 12 straight fights, but more importantly, it is his 10th defense of the UFC flyweight title, tying Anderson Silva’s record for the most consecutive title defenses in UFC history.

The spectacular, historic victory left Johnson more placid and reserved than usual after the fight.

“GSP, Anderson, they are great champions, but I am the best champion that has ever stepped foot in this Octagon,” Johnson said. “I finish off all my opponents. There is no other champion who can mix it all, fight, punch and clinch like me.

Johnson scored the victory by punching and softening Reis while staying out of danger first. The champion then took him to the ground, pounded him some more, and then delivered a neat submission to the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.

Going from a full mount to an armbar submission faster than anyone else in the UFC to end the event, “Mighty Mouse” showed why he’s considered the best pound-for-pound MMA fighter in the world today.

“It was a damn good night,” Johnson said in his post-fight Octagon interview. “It’s probably the best training camp I’ve ever had, and my head coach kept telling me, ‘Just be yourself.’ I came back and did a lot of things differently at this camp and it was the best effort I’ve ever felt.

Even if people like UFC president Dana White call him the “GOAT” of the UFC, putting his name first alongside Silva, who ruled the middleweight division and pound-for-pound rankings from 2006-2013. Johnson remains focused on taking his division and legacy to heights never before seen in MMA.

“I’m like any champion, whether it’s a team sport like the Michael Jordan Bulls or something like the UFC, I want to win as many championships as possible,” Johnson said at the post-fight news conference. I’ve got 10 title defenses now and I can take this belt home and hopefully next time I can break through and maybe I can get 13 or 14 titles, so why not set the bar high. Just like Usain Bolt is the fastest man in the world, I’m the fastest man in mixed martial arts, so I’m going to continue to prove that and hopefully set the record at 15 years and then I can retire.

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MMA

Max Holloway is on a mission at UFC 212

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by Kendrick E. Johnson |

Even with 10 consecutive wins inside the Octagon, UFC interim featherweight champion Max “Blessed” Holloway never had the opportunity to fight for the undisputed championship.

That will all change on Saturday when Holloway faces UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo in a unification fight at UFC 212 at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

This will be only the second time in his career that Holloway will headline a pay-per-view card, but he is extremely confident of entering enemy territory in pursuit of his lifelong dream.

“I’ve been in the spotlight in my career, I’ve had a five-round fight outside the UFC and I’m ready for anything,” Holloway said during a recent conference call.

“I’m just ready to show the world what I’m about and why I’m the best fighter in this division.”

“Blessed” has finished seven opponents in his 10-fight winning streak, including a TKO over former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis to become interim champion.

Holloway and Aldo are two of the best all-around strikers in MMA today, but there aren’t many other similarities both inside and outside the Octagon. What they have in common, however, is that their last defeat came against UFC’s most recognizable star, “Notorious” Conor McGregor.

For Holloway, losing to McGregor four years ago was a good thing. He regrouped, became a more complete fighter and put together one of the greatest winning streaks in UFC history.

However, despite his incredible success at the championship level over the past few years, the UFC has been reluctant to put its hype machine behind Holloway, much to the surprise of many in the media and fans.

Even with this lack of pressure, Holloway is very excited to reign supreme in a division that has only had two undisputed champions in its compact history.

“I just can’t wait to do the damn thing; get in there and fight one of the best of all time,” Holloway said. “He is one of the greatest in our sport, but it is time for a up-to-date era.”

“I have been an underdog my whole life. I do not care. I shouldn’t be here. Max Holloway shouldn’t be talking to any of you. I shouldn’t be here. It is what it is. “Actions speak louder than words, and I have done many things.”

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MMA

Amanda Nunes withdraws from UFC 213 title fight

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by Kendrick E. Johnson |

After being hospitalized hours earlier, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes has been withdrawn from her UFC 213 main event bout against top-ranked Valentina Shevchenko, UFC president Dana White confirmed.

The report of Nunes’ illness and withdrawal was first revealed by mmafighting.com’s Ariel Helwani. White told LA Times writer Lance Pugmire via text message: “I don’t know why Nunes (14-4) withdrew from the card after being examined by a doctor.

“The doctor cleared her to fight. She said she wasn’t feeling well,” White said. “It is what it is. You can’t force anyone to fight.”

Now, the scheduled co-main event fight for the interim middleweight title between Yoel “The Soldier of God” Romero and Robert “The Reaper” Whittaker will be upgraded to main event status at UFC 213. The fresh co-main event will be a heavyweight fight between the former champion Fabricio Werdum and Alistair Overeem, who will fight for the title of number 1 contender to champion Stipe Miocic.

Many commented on how exhausted Nunes looked, as fighters often do, at the official weigh-in on Friday morning around 10 a.m. PST. It must be admitted that in her nine-year MMA career, “The Lioness” has never officially made weight or withdrawn from a fight due to weight loss problems, until today.

The fight will likely be postponed soon. Bob Bennett of the Nevada State Athletic Commission said Nunes had problems beyond the weakness resulting from the weight cut that led to her withdrawal.

Meanwhile, undefeated women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk spent Saturday morning “begging White to fight via text messages and social media.” Jedrzejczyk last fought at UFC 211 in May and plans to fight in November at UFC 217, but she was in town for International Fight Week and told White she would face Shevchencko.

Much to the disappointment of fans and the media, the strawweight champion has no chance of fighting tonight because medical tests and other clearances require a little longer before the NSAC will clear her. So everyone has to hold on tight to see how this story unfolds over the next few days

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