Ray Borg Says He Should Have Stood Against Demetrious Johnson

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Ray Borg spoke about his loss to Demetrious Johnson at UFC 216 and how he regrets not standing up to fight him instead of going for grappling. Here are highlights:

On wishing he did things differently: “I kick myself in the ass for it all the time. I’m not saying I would have knocked him out, but the fight would have been so much different.”

On not needing to be convinced to fight: “I’ve even told my manager, it’s professional to do that, but you don’t have to tell me. You just have to tell me we’re fighting this guy on this date, and as long as you think it’s a good matchup, just tell me where to sign and I’m there. That’s the way I’ve always been.”

On fighting Brandon Moreno: “Moreno’s a real scrappy kid, but he hasn’t put in what I have. He hasn’t been where I’ve been in the sport, and I want to let him know that. He’s scrappy as hell, he’s tough, and he’s sneaky more than anything. But he’s young, too. People need to know that if anything’s going to shift gears in this division when D.J. gets beat, people need to know that I’m the next one – not Moreno, not Pettis. I’m the next one. If I’ve got to fight (Henry) Cejudo, Moreno, Pettis – any of those dudes – to let people know that, then I’ve never said no to a fight.”