Ray Borg is opening up about the challenging roadblocks in life that contributed to his UFC release.
Borg (13-5) was recently cut from the promotion following a split decision loss to Ricky Simon at bantamweight. Prior to that fight, Borg missed weight on four occasions: three times for flyweight fights and once at bantamweight. "The Tazmexican Devil" was scheduled to fight Johnny Munoz on August 1 but was removed from the fight on the day of weigh-ins for undisclosed reasons.
Borg has been open up about his son, Anthony's, struggles with hydrocephalus, a brain condition. He and his wife, Amanda, are also the legal guardians of Borg's niece. Borg said struggles in his personal life affected his ability to truly thrive in his career.
"I guess it's time to break some silence," Borg wrote on Friday. "Six wild years with the UFC, I have experienced some highs and lows during this time. Sean Shelby, Mick Maynard and Dana White have actually treated me insanely good and have given me so many chances to get my s--t together, and I failed to do so. Over the last two-and-a-half-years, my wife and I have gone through so much, so much that most people couldn't even understand how we through the day."
"From our first-born child being at risk every day for brain surgery, to having to gain custody of a very troubled 8-year-old little girl," he continued. "Unfortunately, I have let all these struggles affect me during some of the most important times in my career. I am gutted to part ways with the UFC but I am also grateful for all the cool experiences I have taken part in over the years."
Borg, 27, announced plans to put his mixed martial arts career on hold. He assured it was a temporary measure, and thanked his team, including manager Ali Abdelaziz, for their continued support.
"I have some physiological s--t I need to figure out before I know what my next move is, so this is not a goodbye post but rather a temporary pause until I can come back better," Borg concluded. "Just want to thank my team for standing with me through all of this, and having my back. Also, [I] want to thank my manager, Ali, for always having my back, no matter how hard it has been he has always been there for me. I'll be back."