One-time UFC flyweight title challenger, Ray ‘The Tazmexican Devil’ Borg has decided against initial plans to hang up his gloves last week, following his recent release from the organization.
The 27-year-old was recently released from his UFC contract, following two quickfire withdrawals from scheduled bouts with both, Merab Dvalishvili, and Nathan Maness – after a six-year stint with the promotion.
Borg had last featured at a UFC Fight Night Jacksonville event in May, dropping a hugely competitive back-and-forth with upstart, Ricky Simón. The loss marked the snapping of a two-fight rise for Borg, after wins over Rogério Bontorin, and Gabriel Silva.
Despite original intentions to retire from professional competition, Borg explained in an interview with Sherdog.com that he couldn’t face questions from his son, Anthony in years to come – asking him why he “quit“.
“To be honest, my depression and stress got the best of me, and I was really in it that day,” Borg said. “I was done, I just really want more of the sport. I have a family, a wife and son and the first thing I thought to myself was, ‘I let myself get cut from the UFC, and I’ve got to put food on the table’. I think the best thing to do for myself and my family is to straight-up get a nine to five (job). As gut-wrenching as something like that is to say. I had intentions on retiring. I really did.”
“But I started getting messages from people, and the ones that really hit me hard were the messages from kids I used to coach and train,” Borg explained. “Young kids who come from troubled beginnings. And, I always told them to work hard and they can get themselves out of the gutter. And, I had some kids message me saying, ‘Hey, coach, you can’t retire. You taught me to be tougher than that. It’s too soon for you, you’re only 27 (-years-old).’”
“Then I talked to my wife, and to be honest, my wife didn’t know I decided I was going to retire. So, she comes at me (asking), ‘What are you doing? Why are you retiring?’ I was like, ‘I have to. I’ve got to pay the bills for you guys.’ And, she’s like, ‘Nah, you can’t.’ And, she let me know I owe it to my son. I can’t have my son look at me in ten years and tell me, ‘Dad, why did you quit?’” (H/T The Mac Life)
Borg, who challenged then flyweight titleholder, Demetrious Johnson for the undisputed title back in October 2017 at UFC 216 – had scored a 7-4 promotional record over his six-year run under the UFC banner.
