Newly retired Stevie Ray has two favorite moments in the cage

Stevie Ray officially retired for the second and final time via Instagram this week, after suffering a knockout loss to Clay Collard.

His fighting career lived up to his nickname, “Braveheart.”

The Scot cemented his legacy by making it all the way to the 2022 PFL lightweight championship last year, after coming out of his first retirement. Prior to his run in the PFL, he compiled an honorable 7-4 record in the UFC. Along with that, his resume is stacked with world titles in four different promotions: Cage Warriors lightweight champion, BAMMA British lightweight champion, Scottish Fight Challenge welterweight champion, and Total Combat European welterweight champion.

When asked about his favorite moment in the cage at PFL 6 media day, Ray had two:

“The first one was for the atmosphere, the Scottish fans going crazy, the moment. The second one was more for what happened.”

The first time was in the UFC octagon against Leonardo Mafra.

“So, my favorite time was the first time I ever won in Glasgow when I fought in the UFC. They came for the hydro, there were 13,000 Scottish fans there. They were all chanting my name, Stevie f—— Ray. I won by first round knockout. I didn’t even have the best fight camp then either. I actually had a motorcycle accident four weeks before the fight. I couldn’t train, I couldn’t do any grappling for a couple weeks and stuff, so yeah it wasn’t even the best camp. But I went in, won by first round knockout, and I got the bonus of the night as well, and I got the extra 50 grand, which was good.”

The second time was last year in the smart cage against Anthony Pettis, with a playoff spot on the line.

“Beating Pettis kind of upped [the UFC knockout in Glasgow]. Getting the finish against Pettis, twister. Because I kind of needed the finish, I managed to get it.”

The road as a fighter has ended for “Braveheart,” but not as a coach. On Instagram, he stated his desire to “pass on [his] knowledge and experience.” The legacy continues.

Anik Subramanian

Anik Subramanian is an aspiring MMA journalist based in the United States. He discovered his passion for MMA when the sport was the first to return to live action during the pandemic. He is also a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and has been a lifelong sports fan.