Ray Borg given release after second straight missed fight at UFC on ESPN+ 31

If Ray Borg continues his fighting career, it apparently will be under a new promotional banner his next time out.

The UFC on Friday confirmed to MMA Junkie it has released Borg (13-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) from his contract. The news first was reported by MMAFighting.com.

The move comes a week after Borg was removed from his bantamweight bout against Nathan Maness at UFC on ESPN+ 31 on the day of the weigh-ins. Reasons for that move were not disclosed by the UFC, but it was the second straight event that Borg missed.

At UFC on ESPN 10 in June, Borg was supposed to fight Merab Dvalishvili. But two days before the event, Borg left Las Vegas and returned home for personal reasons.

He exits the UFC on a loss in May to Ricky Simon in his return to the bantamweight division after he missed weight for a flyweight win over Rogerio Bontorin in February in New Mexico in what was a home fight for the Albuquerque resident.

Borg’s UFC career has been littered with weight misses at both flyweight and bantamweight. He missed the flyweight mark three separate times – but wound up winning all three of those fights.

After he challenged Demetrious Johnson for the flyweight title at UFC 216 and lost by fifth-round armbar, he returned to bantamweight for a fight with Casey Kenney 18 months later and missed weight for that bout despite fighting 10 pounds heavier than he was before.

Borg’s life outside the cage has received considerable attention. His son, both in 2018, suffers from hydrocephalus, a brain condition. That has led Borg on multiple occasions to put his family’s best interests ahead of his fighting interests.