Ray Borg: ‘I Had Intentions on Retiring’

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Last week, former Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight contender Ray Borg took to Instagram to announce his retirement from the sport, following his release from the promotion. However, within hours of the news being first reported by MMA Junkie, the 27-year-old deleted the post. In this exclusive conversation with Sherdog, “The Tazmexican Devil” explained his rapid change of heart.

“To be honest, my depression and stress got the best of me, and I was really in it that day. I was done. I just really didn’t want more of the sport. I have a family, a wife and a 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 messages from kids I used to coach and train. 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.’ Then I talked to me wife, and to be honest, my wife didn’t know I decided I was going to retire. So she comes at me [and asks], ‘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 10 years and tell me, ‘Dad, why did you quit?’”

Along with talking about walking back discussion of retirement, the recent bantamweight spoke on his release from the promotion and how a multi-year hiatus from the sport may be the best path forward. Plus, he gave an update on the health of his son and explained why his preference is a quick route back to the UFC.