Ray may consider retirement with loss at PFL 6

2 years ago 40

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'If I won I was going to pay for my daughter's surgery' - Stevie Ray

Scotland's Stevie Ray says he may retire from MMA if he loses to American Clay Collard on Friday in Atlanta.

The lightweight lost in the final of the Professional Fighters League (PFL) $1m tournament last year.

Ray then lost his opening fight of the 2023 season in April and needs to stop Collard to qualify for the next round.

At 33 years old, Ray says a loss "could be a message that it is time to hang it up and to focus on something else" as he approaches his 38th pro fight.

A win will not be enough to secure Ray's spot in the play-offs, but the PFL's season-style format awards extra points for early stoppages, which could see Ray stay in the race for his first major world title.

Ray has 25 wins and 12 losses in a 13-year career. He fought in the UFC for four years before announcing his retirement in 2020.

But a lucrative offer from the PFL convinced Ray to continue fighting and the Scotsman upset all the odds to reach the final of their featherweight tournament last year.

A defeat by champion Olivier Aubin-Mercier meant Ray just missed out on the big prize money.

Despite admitting retirement is looming, Ray insists he feels no pressure heading into the crucial fight with Clay.

"I'm just going out there to enjoy it," he added. "Worst case scenario is still a good scenario for me. [If I lose] it'll be the first time I've lost three fights in a row.

"Obviously, if I win and I don't qualify, that's good because I've won my last fight. If I qualify… that is the best scenario."

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