Ray Borg announces ‘it may be time to move on’ after UFC release

One-time title challenger Ray Borg appeared to announce his retirement less than one month after his release from the UFC.

In a post on his official Instagram account, Borg wrote, “never did I think retirement would come at the age of 27 but some decisions are harder than others,” later adding “it may be time to move on to the next chapter of my life.”

Borg’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The post comes less than one month after the UFC released the 27-year-old fighter from contract following his withdrawal from UFC Vegas 5, where he was scheduled to face Nathan Maness. The reasons for Borg’s scratch were not revealed.

Over six years, Borg repeatedly struggled with the scale. He missed weight on four separate occasions as a flyweight and bantamweight, giving up a portion of his purse to opponents. In his most recent trip to the octagon, he was outpointed by Ricky Simon.

In 2018, Borg grappled with personal issues when his newborn son was diagnosed with rare brain condition, hydrocephalus, that required 12 separate surgeries. He was also ruled out of UFC 223 when Conor McGregor attacked the transport bus he was riding, sending glass shards into his eye.

Despite his missteps, Borg fought his way into title contention as a flyweight, earning key wins over Jussier Formiga and Louis Smolka. But a bid to capture the title from now-former champ Demetrious Johnson ended in a fifth-round submission loss.

Borg’s overall UFC record stands at 7-5.