After Training with Him in Past, Clay Collard Surprised by Ngannou’s Boxing Debut

Clay Collard is probably more qualified than most to comment on Francis Ngannou’s professional boxing debut.

Collard, who owns a 9-6-3 record as a professional boxer, was just as surprised as anyone to see Ngannou hold his own against Tyson Fury in their match on Oct. 28 in Saudia Arabia — especially after training alongside “The Predator” in the past.

“I’ve got to give him props,” Collard said during a recent PFL media day. “I trained with him a little bit back at Xtreme Couture, and I never would’ve guessed that would’ve been the case, him going in there and dropping Fury. A lot of people might have him winning.

“I wish him all the success. I think he can take it as high as he wants to go in boxing or mixed martial arts. Baddest man on the planet, PFL.”

While Collard has plenty of experience in the Sweet Science, his current focus is winning the PFL lightweight championship against Olivier Aubin-Mercier on Nov. 24 in Washington, D.C. Their fight will serve as the main event for the PFL Championships, which air on pay-per-view via ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Prelims air immediately prior on ESPN+ at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.

“I just can’t wait to punch a Canadian in the face,” Collard said of his opponent.

“I’m excited about it. He’s talking about retiring. I want to go give him a reason to f—ing retire.”

Aubin-Mercier is the defending PFL lightweight champion and will bring a nine-bout winning streak into the fight. “The Canadian Gangster” has stated on multiple occasions that he doesn’t plan on competing in the next PFL season, and as Collard mentioned, has even hinted at retirement if an attractive offer doesn’t materialize.

Aubin-Mercier’s nonchalant attitude in interviews has been perceived as a lack of concern regarding his upcoming fight. Collard says that would be a mistake if he doesn’t consider his fellow UFC veteran to be a legitimate threat.

“He’s delusional. He’s got mediocre wrestling. His striking’s OK, I guess,” Collard said. “If he’s not threatened by me, he’s overlooking me, and that’s a mistake.”

For the most part, Collard is just looking forward to the opportunity.

“That’s what I’ve been working toward since I started this thing, is being a world champion,” he said. “The money is a bonus. We’re at the top of our game, and we’re ready to go prove it.”