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This past February, UFC veteran Ray Borg announced he was joining Bellator after signing an exclusive, multi-fight contract with the promotion. “I am beyond excited and very happy to have signed with Bellator MMA,” said Borg in a press release. “I feel like they have the best 135ers in the world and I am very excited to get in there and mix it up with all of them on one of the very biggest stages in the sport.”
Before he could ‘mix it up’ with the bantamweights, Borg had to go through a flyweight, as he was paired against Kyoji Horiguchi at Bellator 295 on Saturday. However, on Friday, the fight was canceled after the former UFC title challenger in Borg failed to weigh in due to ‘weight management issues’.
Bellator cuts UFC vet Ray Borg after weight miss
Bellator president Scott Coker revealed Borg (and Keoni Diggs) were released from the promotion after their weight misses. Diggs was scheduled to fight Weber Almeida at featherweight, but also failed to weigh in.
“I think Ray and Keoni both had catchweights to begin with, and we started with one contract price, and then they negotiated a catchweight because they couldn’t make weight,” said Coker (video provided by MMA Junkie). “And then for them to miss weight completely again when it’s time to fight, listen, this is a professional fight league. This is not an amateur tournament. So, to me, I think that maybe it’s time to say goodbye to both of them, and we’re going to move on and let them fight somewhere else, and good luck.”
This is not the first time Borg missed weight. The same ‘weight management issues’ led to his UFC release, as the ’Tazmexican Devil’ came in overweight for flyweight and bantamweight appearances near the end of his stint.
Though Borg has not attempted a cut to flyweight after failing to do so against Rogério Bontorin at UFC Fight Night: Anderson vs. Blachowicz II in 2020, Coker said he was given assurance his newest signee could at least get down to a catchweight. When that failed to happen, the Bellator president decided to release Borg.
“Ray couldn’t even make it to ‘35,” said Coker. “I think Horiguchi would’ve probably fought him at ‘35 today, just because he wanted to fight so bad. But listen, in the past, I get it — but his management and my team assured me that he was going to be able to make weight and make the catchweight, which was 130, for sure, no problem. And so you go by their word, because usually we don’t have a problem like this in a fight that big. But unfortunately, that’s what happened today.”
Mangement team also cuts ties with Ray Borg
It wasn’t just Bellator that was unhappy with the UFC vet. His management team also decided to cut ties publicly.
“Effective immediately, Dominance MMA will no longer serve as representation for Ray Borg,” the statement read.
“Unfortunately, Mr. Borg was not willing or able to make that weight, resulting in unnecessary complications for all involved. Given the circumstances, as well as our own embarrassment, we can no longer in good faith represent our now former client.”
Ray Borg announces retirement (again)
After seeing his fight against Horiguchi canceled and getting released from Bellator, Borg announced his retirement from mixed martial arts (again).
“Things did not go as planned this weekend and I will not be fighting,” wrote Borg on his personal Facebook account. “I made promise to myself that if another incident like this ever happened I would retire. So going forward I am officially out of the game and hanging it up.
“I just want to formally apologize to those I have let down and thank those that have been by my side throughout these crazy years. I am on a different journey in life now and I appreciate and love you all for always being Team Borg.”
Borg retires with an overall record of 16-5, with wins over notable UFC fighters such as Louis Smolka, Jussier Formiga and Cody Gibson.
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