Issue 127
April 2015
Despite being just 21, surging flyweight Ray Borg lived up to the hype around his potential with a spectacular submission at UFC Fight Night 60
Ray Borg walked into the 1STBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado
as a relatively unknown prospect. Yet, one scintillating submission of Chris Kelades later and it’s easy to see why he’s being tipped for the top.
The New Mexico flyweight showed no signs of nerves in his third Octagon appearance on the UFC Fight Night 60 main card, exhibiting the sort of poise and calm usually expected of fighters twice his age and with far more experience.
Kelades rushed in to engage as soon as the klaxon went, but Borg was more than able to handle whatever the 33-year-old Canadian threw at him. Once the fight hit the floor, ‘The Tazmexican Devil’ showed off the scramble-heavy style that’s quickly making him a favorite with fight fans. He switched from one submission attempt to another, which kept his opponent guessing as to what might happen next.
After two rounds of one-sided domination, Kelades’ corner demanded he finish the fight with a knockout to avoid a wide decision loss. But Borg took him down within seconds and landed some brutal ground ‘n’ pound before he pounced on a kimura while in half guard.
The 21-year-old clasped Kelades’ wrist with his right hand and his own right wrist with his left to lock the submission in. Borg left his opponent no room to escape by wrapping his left leg behind his neck before he wrenched his arm behind his back to force the tap.
“That was my first arm-lock submission ever, in my entire career,” Borg said in his post-fight interview. “A rear naked choke comes naturally to me, but that looks pretty enough for $50,000.”
That’s two Octagon submission wins on the trot now for an exciting member of the UFC’s lightest weight class. It’s a division lacking obvious title contenders, and Borg says he’s ready to take on the best 125lb’ers and become a serious force.
“I definitely feel like I stack up very well against all these other flyweights,” he said. “I feel like I can be a new face in the division and add some waves and hopefully add some depth.
“I showed in the fight against Dustin Ortiz that I’m ready for anything. I’m ready for the top 10, top five. I’m mentally strong enough and game enough to do it. Also, I’m physically talented enough to do it.”
