By Zak Williamson
Scottish MMA fighter Stevie Ray narrowly missed out on big money after losing in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) final last weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Ray faced Canadian fighter Olivier Aubin-Mercier for the organisation’s Lightweight Title, which guaranteed the winner a life changing $1 million prize.
This was one of six championship bouts on the night, taking place in front of a sell-out crowd.
It was a close opening round in which neither man was able to gain a foothold, both looked tentative and did not want to give anything away with so much on the line.
However, it was the Scot who gained the advantage in the second round, utilising his world class grappling to take his opponent’s back, almost submitting him.
Unfortunately for Braveheart, Aubin-Mercier survived the onslaught, getting back to his feet and delivering a vicious right hook to win by knockout with just seconds left in the round.
The result of the fight comes as a shock after Ray’s recent performances in the PFL, beating former UFC Lightweight champion Anthony Pettis twice on his way to the final.
The Scot gave his opinion about the fight on social media, offering his respect to his opponent and reflecting positively on his experience:
‘The fact I was told 3 years ago I was injured and wouldn’t/shouldn’t fight again, and I made it to the @pflmma finals. I’m proud of also beating a former world champion twice.’
It is unclear whether Ray will return to the PFL in its next season, after coming so close to the title.
His opponent has expressed interest in returning to the PFL, despite considering retirement in the lead up to the fight, claiming that he would like to take the PFL to his hometown of Quebec.
Mercier also trains with former UFC Welterweight Champion, Georges St Pierre who is largely considered as one of the greatest combat athletes of all time.
While it is unfortunate that Stevie Ray could not push on and bring the million-dollar prize back to Scotland, the Fife native can still be proud of what he has achieved in his new organisation.
After being forced to retire from competition in 2021 with a 7-4 record in the UFC, few would have imagined that we would see the Scottish fighter compete again, let alone in a million-dollar championship bout.
Stevie Ray has become somewhat of a trailblazer with his run in the PFL, showing other Scottish fighters what they can achieve on the world stage if they put in the work.