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PFL 6: Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Anthony Romero kicks off the main card on ESPN+ with a fight in the lightweight division between Clay Collard and Stevie Ray. Collard needs a win to lock in a playoff spot meanwhile, Ray is going to need an early finish to secure his spot in the playoffs. With that said, check out our PFL odds series for our Collard-Ray prediction and pick.
Clay Collard (22-10) is coming off a dominant performance against a tough newcomer to the PFL in Yamato Nishikawa. He was able to do what he does best and that is by outstriking his opposition at range with a wide variety of attacks and great movement on the feet. He will need to replicate that same success against Stevie Ray come Friday night.
Stevie Ray (25-12) had a rough first fight of the 2023 regular season when he got dominated by former PFL tournament champion Natan Schulte. Ray will have to utilize his strengths which is his grappling to get the early submission of Collard and secure a spot in this year's PFL playoffs.
Here are the PFL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
PFL 6 Odds: Clay Collard-Stevie Ray Odds
Clay Collard: -280
Stevie Ray: +205
How to Watch Clay Collard vs. Stevie Ray
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT (Main Card)
Why Clay Collard Will Win
Clay Collard has come so close to making it to the finals in the PFL before and he is hoping this is his chance to finally get the big win that he has been longing for. He has some of the best boxing in the entire lightweight division which makes him a tough opponent to gameplan against especially for someone like Stevie Ray.
Collard should be able to beat a beatdown on Ray as long as this fight stays on his feet. He will need to utilize his speed, movement, and volume to make it hard for Ray to catch up to him in an attempt to get this fight to the mat. As long as Collard makes Ray work and can defend the takedowns this is his fight to lose.
Why Stevie Ray Will Win
Stevie Ray is as opportunistic as they come in the PFL lightweight division. He has seemingly had his back against the wall in both of his fights against Anthony Pettis in last year's PFL tournament and came away victorious and made it all the way to the finals. In this fight against Collard, he will need some more of that magic.
He will be at a distinct speed and striking disadvantage as this fight stays on the feet. Ray will need to utilize his calf kicks to chop away at the lead leg of Collard to slow down that movement and from there he can try to get ahold of Collard and take the fight to the mat. If this fight hits the mat he does have a great chance of scoring the upset.
Final Clay Collard-Stevie Ray Prediction & Pick
While Stevie Ray does a bit more striking than most grapplers, this is a striker vs grappler type matchup. Collard will need to play keep away on the feet and Ray will need to get in close and take him to the mat. Ultimately, Collard is too equipped for the style that Ray possesses as he has seen it time and time again and has done well at fighting against it. Collard should utilize his speed and movement to outstrike Ray and get the wide unanimous decision victory.
Final Clay Collard-Stevie Ray Prediction & Pick: Clay Collard (-280)
