Mads Burnell can claim bragging rights over Clay Collard at least. The former Bellator and Cage Warriors standout won a hard-fought decision over Collard in Friday’s PFL Salt Lake City main event to score his first victory since joining the league this season. It was a tough pill for Collard to swallow in front of his fellow Utahans, but the lightweight veteran can be consoled by the fact that his April stoppage win of Patricky Pitbull earned him enough points in the standings to advance him to the postseason.
Despite having his hand raised, Burnell only earns three regular season points for a decision win. He lost in his debut this past April and thus falls short of the playoffs and a shot at the league’s $1 million prize. Burnell can take pride in the fact that he beat one of the PFL’s established stars and in his home state, no less.
Collard kicked off the bout in typically aggressive fashion, using his sharp boxing to close the distance and pressure Burnell. The Dane fired back on the feet, but knew his smartest path to victory was to utilize his expert grappling. After Round 1, Burnell scored multiple takedowns on Collard to neutralize his striking advantage.
Collard battled hard to get back to his feet, but Burnell refused to give him room to operate. Amid jeers from the Salt Lake City crowd, Burnell stuck to his wrestling and held on for the win with 29-28 scores across the board. In the co-main event, 2023 PFL light heavyweight champion Impa Kasanganay came out .