Preview: PFL 9 ‘Collard vs. Burgos’

The Professional Fighters League championship lineup is almost complete.

Lightweights and welterweights will punch their respective tickets to the finals at PFL 9 on Wednesday with an event headlined by a potential all-action clash between Clay Collard and Shane Burgos. Meanwhile, Olivier Aubin-Mercier and Sadibou Sy attempt to continue their bids to repeat as champions in other noteworthy main card action.

PFL 9 takes place inside The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on ESPN and ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, while prelims stream to ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

Now to the PFL 9 ‘Collard vs. Burgos’ preview:

Lightweights

Clay Collard (23-10 5-2 PFL) vs. Shane Burgos (16-4, 1-1 PFL)

Thanks to a controversial ruling that eliminated Natan Schulte from the postseason for what was deemed a lackluster fight against Raush Manfio, the PFL gets what appears to be a fan-friendly matchup between Collard and Burgos.

Collard and Burgos are known for pressure-first fighting styles that rely on combination punching and the willingness to absorb punishment to force their preferred fight. However, in two of his last three bouts—wins over Yamato Nishikawa and Charles Jourdain—Burgos has adopted a ground-heavy approach reliant on takedowns and top control. It will be interesting to see if the Team Tiger Schulmann product sticks with that game plan against Collard, who is willing to take risks and engage in scrambles should the fight hit the canvas.

Collard’s boxing background and ability to mix combinations to the head and body can overwhelm many opponents, but Burgos also likes to move forward while landing combinations and low kicks. Burgos is also a dangerous counterpuncher with finishing power in his left hook—something that could come into play as Collard attempts to force exchanges in the pocket. Given recent history, it would not be surprising to see Burgos mix up his offense and keep Collard guessing by blending in takedowns with his combinations. In an extended firefight, even an offensive-minded competitor such as Burgos will find it difficult to match Collard’s striking volume.

This fight feels like a coinflip, but Collard will not be out of his depth if Burgos looks to ground him repeatedly. Look for Collard to get the nod in a narrow decision victory.

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Collard vs. Burgos
Aubin-Mercier vs. Miranda
Sy vs. Miranda
Magomedkerimov vs. Renfro
Walsh vs. Davis
The Prelims