Ray Borg

Ray Borg is a technical flyweight and bantamweight grappler from Tucson, Arizona, whose career trajectory mirrors the challenges of competing at smaller weight classes in modern MMA. After compiling an undefeated 6-0 record fighting across the southwestern United States in regional promotions, Borg signed with the UFC in April 2014. He quickly established himself as a submission specialist, earning two Performance of the Night bonuses in his first two UFC fights (against Shane Howell and Chris Kelades) with highlight-reel finishes. His striking was not his calling card: Borg averaged just 1.52 significant strikes landed per minute, instead building his game on takedowns, clinch control, and ground positioning. Over 12 fights in the UFC, he compiled 6 submission wins and 6 decision victories, showcasing a patient, technical approach that worked well at flyweight.

Borg's career pinnacle came in October 2017 when he earned a title shot against Demetrious Johnson, then widely regarded as the greatest flyweight of all time. The fight lasted all five rounds and ended in stunning fashion: Johnson suplexed Borg and locked an armbar simultaneously in the fifth, creating one of MMA's most iconic grappling moments and cementing Johnson's legacy. After that loss, Borg's career became marked by injury withdrawals, illness, and a persistent weight-management problem. Between 2017 and 2020, he missed weight on four separate occasions, forcing catchweight agreements and creating friction with promoters and opponents alike. The narrative of his struggles was complicated by personal hardship: Borg withdrew from fights to care for his son, Anthony, who was born with hydrocephalus and required brain surgery in 2018.

Borg remained a technical fighter and a fan favorite among grappling enthusiasts; his ability to control the mat and hunt submissions was never in question. However, consistency eluded him. His final UFC fight, a split-decision loss to Ricky Simon in May 2020, preceded his release from the organization. He competed briefly in regional and international promotions (UAE Warriors and Eagle FC) before signing with Bellator in 2023, only to be released after weight-management complications forced cancellation of his promotional debut against Kyoji Horiguchi. Borg subsequently announced his retirement from professional MMA, closing the book on a career defined by technical excellence, personal resilience, and the unforgiving struggle to make weight at elite levels.