Ray Borg was very excited to get the decision to affix the Bellator MMA roster, however he was admittedly confused when he obtained his first official battle provide.
The identify on his bout settlement was ex-Bellator champion Kyoji Horiguchi, which was precisely the form of opponent Borg needed. Then, he noticed that the battle was at 125 kilos.
Borg spent an enormous a part of his profession competing at flyweight, however he additionally endured some really disastrous weight cuts that ultimately performed a component in his UFC launch. So when he found Bellator needed him to battle once more at flyweight, he was undoubtedly shocked. Even nonetheless, he by no means hesitated for a second when it got here time to ink the contract.
“I used to be actually confused on why they supplied the battle at flyweight, to be sincere,” Borg instructed MMA Combating. “I nonetheless don’t even know why, to be really sincere. It form of doesn’t make sense to me. I do know Bellator’s completed flyweight fights after they have extra native guys on the cardboard. Kyoji’s fought at bantamweight, he was a bantamweight champion, so it didn’t make sense to me. Nonetheless form of doesn’t. I simply mentioned sure to the battle.
“I used to be excited for the chance to get signed with Bellator and to battle with Kyoji. It’s a battle a very long time within the making, and it’s coming on the excellent time in my profession and in my life. It’s what it’s. I simply take the fights they offer me.”
Borg is aware of all eyes are on him Friday when he units foot on the size forward of his debut at Bellator 295. However he’s grown to anticipate that due to the eye he placed on himself by failing to make weight so many instances previously.
When this example got here up beforehand, Borg used to lash out at his detractors, which solely led to additional backlash when he didn’t make weight. Lately, he’s simply realized to just accept his errors, and he’s taken full possession these weight misses.
“I’ve made a number of modifications in my life by way of not simply weight-reduction plan and the way all that goes, but it surely’s psychological with me now,” Borg defined. “I’m not hung up on dumb stuff. I’m not dishonest on diets, and I simply have a extremely sturdy mentality going into [weight] cuts. My final three [fights] confirmed that I used to be first on the size, first to weigh-in. The questions are going to come back up, the doubts are going to be there, however I introduced these upon myself.
“One factor I’ve accepted is I’ve had a bunch of unhealthy weight cuts, and it’s form of helped me transfer ahead, and I don’t actually eat from that tree anymore.”
Since leaving the UFC, Borg has gone 3-0 with spectacular wins over UFC and Bellator veterans resembling Cody Gibson and Ricky Bandejas.
Borg is aware of there’s by no means actually been a query about his capacity to compete with the very best fighters on this planet. His UFC launch had nothing to do with wins and losses. That mentioned, he believes leaving the UFC is what precipitated the wholesale modifications he’s made in his life.
“I received lower from the UFC due to my very own demons,” Borg mentioned. “I didn’t get lower as a result of I couldn’t cling. And actually, reality be instructed, getting lower from the UFC was in all probability the very best factor to occur for me for my profession. Yeah, I misplaced out combating on the largest stage and platform on this planet, however on the finish of the day, it was the very best factor to occur to me mentally. I don’t assume I might be within the psychological state that I’m now if that didn’t occur.
“With that being mentioned, that is nice alternative to show myself, not simply to battle, however the weight lower. That is a kind of instances I get to point out folks there’s a purpose why I’m good and there’s a purpose why I get in there and win fights. I’m simply able to form of show that to folks once more. I’m fairly rattling good and I’m fairly legit.”
If there’s one disappointment surrounding his return to flyweight it’s that Borg appears like his battle towards Horiguchi may have greater stakes.
“I used to be like, this might undoubtedly be a title battle,” Borg mentioned. “I truly had lots of people assuming it was a title battle, asking me if I used to be a title battle, and I mentioned it was only a common outdated three-round fist-fight. We’ll see what occurs sooner or later. However proper now, I’m solely taking a look at getting my palms on Kyoji.”
