Life has not been on Ray Borg’s side recently, but he’s found a true source of motivation through his son’s battle with hydrocephalus, resulting in a win at UFC San Antonio.
San Antonio, TX – Ray Borg last tasted victory in 2017. Since then, he’s had four bouts canceled and two losses added to his record. He was able to turn things around at UFC San Antonio with a win over the debuting Gabriel Silva. It’s safe to say it’s been a tough run for “The Tazmexican Devil.”
“I let a lot of outside stuff push me back in my career. With weight cuts and things like that. My last fight not going my way even though I thought it should’ve. I thought, ‘Damn, what do I have to do to get in this win column?’ But we made sure we were tight on my whole camp over at Jackson’s. We made sure we were super on point in this camp with everything from training to the weight cut. It feels amazing to finally be back in there. Feels like forever, well, it’s been a while. Feels like worse.”
All the issues affecting his fighting career directly were taking a toll on him. Not to mention, Ray Borg’s newborn son was diagnosed with hydrocephalus (water on the brain) and required many surgeries. During these trials, Borg considered calling it quits.
“Truth be told, I don’t hide any secrets, I don’t lie, I didn’t know if we were going to get to this point right now. I didn’t know if there was going to be much more of a road to keep going on at this point. But I’m a very strong person. I’ve been through a lot my whole entire life, not just these past few years. I just couldn’t let my son down. Everything he’s been through, all the fights he’s had to fight through, I couldn’t let him down. I made sure I picked myself up and said, ‘Hey, get the hell up bro.’ I made sure that I’m going to have a long career in this sport. I’m very happy with where I’m at. I have a good mindset going forward.”
Early on, it seemed as if Borg’s struggles would continue, as he lost the first round on all three judges’ scorecards. With his back against the wall, Borg was able to get the better of his opponent, Gabriel Silva, and take home a decision.
“That’s why I trust my coaches. My coaches are never going to say, ‘Hey, good round. You won that round, you’re so fantastic.’ Nah, my coaches will tell me straight. My coach told me, ‘Hey, we need this last round. We need this last round.’ And I had a feeling. I came out to an okay start in the first, and then I let him get the upper hand a bit too much. So I agree with them giving him the first. I know a lot was on the line in the last round. A lot more than money, a win. I think my career was on the line at that point.”
Considering the struggles in the personal life of Ray Borg, a lost first round could have sent him spiraling. However, he drew motivation from his son, who was able to persevere through all the surgeries in his first several months of life.
“It’s obviously if you could tell yourself, ‘Hey man, if you don’t win this last round, you could be in the can.’ But more than that, it’s like, ‘You know, I don’t need this last round. My coaches don’t need this last round. My son needs this last round.’ My son needs this win, and wins in the future as well. That’s what kept me going. I was exhausted. I blew my load on that guillotine. It was there, I heard him squealing, but my arms were damn tired.”
Check out the rest of Ray Borg’s UFC San Antonio post-fight media scrum above.
