Ray Borg announces comeback, returns to MMA action on June 19

Former UFC flyweight title challenger Ray Borg has announced his comeback to the cage, and he returns to MMA action on June 19.

Borg will next take on Canadian MMA veteran Jesse Arnett at UAE Warriors on June 19. MMAjunkie.com was the first to report the bout, with Borg’s manager Ali Abdelaziz confirming the booking. It will be Borg’s first MMA fight in over a year since he was released from the UFC after several failed weigh-in attempts that frustrated the promotion.

Borg has always been one of the most talented flyweights in the UFC, but he had serious troubles making weight at both 125lbs and at 135lbs. In addition, it didn’t help that his son Anthony has had to deal with health issues that have taken their toll on his father’s career. Overall, the UFC matchmakers showed a lot of empathy to Borg and gave him more chances to stick around than other fighters, but ultimately they ended up releasing him. Borg announced his retirement from MMA soon after, but he has had a change of heart.

Borg (13-5) won the first six fights of his MMA career before being signed to the UFC in 2014. From 2014 to 2020 Borg went 7-5 overall in the Octagon while fighting at both 125lbs and 135lbs. He has defeated the likes of Jussier Formiga, Louis Smolka, and Rogerio Bontorin during his career in the UFC, but he has also lost a number of times, most notably to Demetrious Johnson who had one of the craziest submissions of all-time against him.

If Borg gets a big win over Arnett in UAE, it’s possible the UFC matchmakers could give him another look given how talented he is. He has to make weight and put on a good showing, but don’t completely write off the 27-year-old Borg from making it back to the big show.

Do you think Ray Borg will ever make it back to the UFC again?