Ray Borg was set to challenge for the UFC Flyweight Title against champion Demetrious Johnson in the main event of UFC 215, but then the challenger fell ill and the bout was canceled.
Dr. Michelle Ingles of Perfect Athletes has been working as a nutritionist for Borg leading into the fight and she issues a statement to MMA Fighting stating it was an illness, not the weight cut that caused the fight being scrapped.
“It wasn't weight related,” Ingles said. “Ray has been getting progressively more sick each day this week and still wanted to fight so badly that he put on a game face and went to all of his fight week obligations. However, prior to beginning the bulk of his weight cut the UFC doctor examined Borg and concluded that he was too ill to fight this week and needed time to rest and get better.”
Borg would issue a statement of his own to MMA Weekly a short time later, first apologizing for the whole situation and then saying he’s no longer working with Perfect Athletes.
The fighter stated that he’s no longer working with them because he never authorized them to issue any statements on his behalf.
“First, I want to say I’m sorry to the fans and to Demetrious Johnson for being unable to fight,” Borg said. “I want to say thank you to Dr. Davidson, the UFC and to Jeff Novitsky for looking out for my health and best interests. I also want to add that I am no longer working with Perfecting Athletes and Michelle Ingels, who was not authorized to speak on my behalf.”
UFC 215 takes place on Saturday, September 9 from Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
