Scotland’s Stevie Ray will face American Clay Collard at PFL 6 tonight in Atlanta, and will strive to take one step closer to the $1 million dollar prize.
For ‘Braveheart’, this is likely to be his last tournament and possibly his last ever fight.
Ray needs a stoppage win against Collard to qualify for the next round of the tournament. He lost his opening fight of the 2023 season to Natan Schulte back in April.
The 33-year-old MMA veteran says he may retire if he loses tonight, but isn’t feeling the pressure and plans to enjoy the fight.
Fighting Inside And Outside Of The Cage
Stevie Ray has been upfront about his mental health struggles, but he is not the only fighter in the family.
His daughter Myla was diagnosed with frontal lobe epilepsy and cortical dysplasia. She is currently recovering from brain surgery.
He received the tragic news regarding Myla’s need for surgery just before his fight against Olivier Aubin-Mercier in the PFL lightweight tournament final last year.
In an interview with the Daily Star, Ray said: “I thought about pulling out of the fight, but my wife and I spoke and we said, look it’s not going to change anything.”
Ray was knocked out in the second round of the fight, but made no excuses.
The Scot admitted that his mental resolve was seriously tested at this time. The thought of his daughter and her bravery will be driving Ray forward in his next fight.
“This fight I had to train in the hospital room when my daughter was getting surgery. I’m going to be thinking about all that, and I’m going to take it out on this guy,” he said.
Stevie Ray, PFL 6, And Retirement
A win will not be enough to secure qualification for Ray. He will need to stop Collard early for a chance to progress.
He may be eager for redemption in this tournament, but says this is likely to be his last year in MMA.
“Now Myla’s recovering this is potentially my last year. I am tired of fighting, it’s been 14 years,” said the former UFC fighter. “I think I’m ready for something new in my life.”
“I’d like to teach yoga, Jiu-Jitsu and MMA. I want to teach kids how to cope with their mental health.”
No matter how the fight plays out on Friday night, Ray’s career has been an illustrious one.
His nickname of ‘Braveheart’ has never been more fitting. The courage he has shown when dealing with the mental and physical trials and tribulations in his life has been immense.
Friday night Stevie Ray will be fighting for his country, a big cheque, but most importantly for his daughter Myla.
Feature image credits to Embed from Getty Images
