During the last few months, the UFC has given a massive number of debuts to fighters and given them a world stage to make a name for themselves. Guys like Khamzat Chimaev, Jiri Prochazka and others have all done extremely well in their debut fights. There seems to be more roster spots open for newcomers as the UFC has released two well-known and ranked fighters in light heavyweight prospect Corey Anderson and 135’er Ray Borg.
Corey Anderson made his UFC debut back in 2014 and has enjoyed a really successful stint in the UFC, finishing with a record of 10-5 and fighting some huge names in the sport like Jan Blachowicz, Mauricio Rua, Jimi Manuwa, OSP and many others. At one point in time, he was a main name in the title contention picture and looked to be set to have the fight with current champion Jon Jones after he built up a 4 fight win streak from 2018 to late 2019. However, his momentum was stopped in February of this year when he lost what many thought was a winner-gets-a-title-shot fight, to Jan Blachowicz.
Corey struggled through parts of his career with his attitude, constantly accusing Dana White of looking past him when it came to big fights and title fights, and it seems he had reached his boiling point, eventually asking for his release. The UFC happily agreed for his release and it was announced today that he has signed with Bellator. Corey instantly becomes one of the top light heavyweights in Bellator and it’s a move that may benefit Corey more than staying in the UFC. A fight with current Bellator champion Ryan Bader would be one hell of a fight to watch, and it’s a fight many MMA fans are already talking about.
Ray Borg hasn’t had the easiest of times during his career. From constant weight division changes, to constantly missing weight in different divisions and having a huge number of fights cancelled. Borg made his UFC debut back in 2014 and was a major name in the flyweight division when the UFC first formed it. He did challenge for the title back in 2017 and gave MMA legend Demetrious Johnson one of his toughest fights, but unfortunately fell short to one of the best submission wins in MMA history.
Borg definitely had the talent and potential to be one of the best in the UFC. His fights were always exciting to watch and he loved to just throw down with his opponents, but everything with his life changed when his son was diagnosed with a condition called Hydrocephalus. Borg found himself constantly having to attend to his son’s health, and like in every situation, family comes first. Unfortunately, that meant his MMA career was put on the backburner. Although Borg has tried to get it back on track in the past 12 months, issues with cancelled fights and weight cut misses just totaled up and the UFC released him.
The Corey Anderson news caught me by surprise when it was first announced. Sure, he had his issues with the UFC and Dana White, but many fighters do and the fact he was a highly ranked contender and looked to have a huge role to play, it just shocked me to see him leave by his own decision. Bellator has scored big with Anderson. He’s definitely one of their bigger additions in recent times and I’m sure he will enjoy a very bright future in the promotion.
The Ray Borg announcement was definitely a lot less of a surprise when it was announced. Although Borg has been with the UFC for quite some time, he’s always had issues across his career and I think this release works best for both parties. Borg can put 100% of his effort into being a dad to his son and the UFC can go and book fights for their fighters in that division and not run the risk of having to find a late replacement if Borg was the fighter originally booked. Myself and all at PSN wish Borg and his son the best for the future!
Mandatory Credit – © Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
