WILMINGTON, Del. – One year ago, Ray Borg might have been down in the dumps about another opponent switch on five days’ notice.
Now, it barely registers.
“At the point I’m in my life, I don’t give a damn any more,” Borg (11-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) told MMA Junkie before a meeting with two-division LFA champ Casey Kenney (11-1-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), his third scheduled opponent, at UFC on ESPN 2, which takes place Saturday at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Just getting to the octagon is the goal for Borg, who’s lost six proposed fights over two years. From the illness of his newborn son, to being the victim of an infamous bus attack, to injuries, to opponents simply falling out for unknown reasons, there aren’t many challenges he hasn’t faced.
“But going through what I’ve gone through in the last year, and seeing what my son has been through, that (expletive) changes you, to where I don’t give a damn what happens on Saturday night,” he said. “I’m in there to kill someone. I’m at the point in my life where I don’t care what happens on Saturday night. If I get dropped or wobbled, whatever, you’ll be damn sure I’ve left everything in there.”
At the height of his son’s health troubles, Borg thought about retiring from MMA to take a nine-to-five job. He didn’t want to worry about how he’d manage if there were more complications from hydrocephalus, an incurable brain disease that causes buildup of fluid in the brain. But seeing his son fight for his health, he reconsidered.
“He couldn’t let me do it,” he said. “I had to tell myself, as long as he’s fighting, there’s no way I can quit fighting.”
Today, Anthony Borg celebrated his first birthday. After 12 brain surgeries, he’s out of the hospital and is showing normal signs of development for a newborn. With so much time shuttling in and out of surgery, he’s had to make up for lost time. The longer he can go without any serious complications, the better chance he has of living a somewhat normal life, according to his father.
Ray Borg credits fellow fighters and industry veterans for getting his family through the past 12 months. Ex-UFC champ Cody Garbrandt, Chael Sonnen and Brendan Schaub are among those who offered financial assistance. But there are others who spread the word and gave encouragement during those difficult times, and Borg is eternally grateful.
“I expected, we’ve got to get through this – we’ve got to figure out a way,” he said. “But the community did truly surprise me by coming together the way they did to help my family.”
Borg used to come into fights thinking about how he keep his job and get ahead in the flyweight division. Now, all he considers is what’s immediately in front of him, which is the fight on Saturday. He’s moved up to bantamweight, so he doesn’t have the added stress of losing enough pounds to make the 125-pound limit. The fate of the flyweight division isn’t his concern right now.
“I’m considering this weekend a fresh start,” he said. “I have no spot or place to really worry about. My only worry is winning this fight and going back home.”
After all, he’s got a birthday to celebrate.
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