Mikey Williams/Top Rank
The former UFC fighter has become a fan favorite in boxing.
“Cassius” Clay Collard may not have had much success in the UFC, but he’s become one of boxing’s best stories of 2020.
The MMA veteran continued his boxing winning streak with a second-round TKO of fellow MMA fighter and former GLORY kickboxer Lorawnt-T Nelson on Tuesday’s Top Rank on ESPN card. Collard normally plays the role of spoiler against undefeated prospects, as he did against David Kaminsky and in his thriller with Raymond Guajardo, but this time Top Rank matched him up as the heavy favorite.
Collard (8-2-3, 3 KOs) scored three knockdowns of Nelson (5-4, 4 KOs), whose defense was anywhere from porous to non-existent. While Collard usually likes to brawl and make his opponents uncomfortable in close, he used more technical boxing skills this time around. The first knockdown was a straight right that buckled Nelson’s legs and he was held up by the ropes. In round two, another straight right sent Nelson to a knee, then a left hook produced the final knockdown. With Collard going for the spectacular, the referee picked a peculiar time to stop the fight but it wasn’t like Nelson was going to win.
Watch the highlights and his post-fight interview at the top of the page. Collard, who’s self-described his boxing style as a hybrid of MMA and boxing, even notes that he wanted to “fight more like a boxer” against Nelson.
Top Rank has taken a liking to Collard and has already penciled him in for a return in late August.