The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Fife’s Ray ‘heading in right direction’
Kirkcaldy UFC competitor relishing chance to fight in front of Scots fans
A fast-growing mixed martial arts reputation is making Stevie Ray a recognisable face in Scotland, the UK and well beyond.
But the Kirkcaldy UFC star will be hoping to please a local fan club that has a rare chance to see him at work in the Octagon later this summer.
UFC Glasgow on Sunday July 16 is a homecoming for Ray, whose star rose high with a stunning comeback win against the legendary Joe Lauzon in Nashville recently.
Asked how many tickets his contest with Paul Felder at the SSE Hydro will shift, Ray said: “Probably the whole of Fife!
“Even when I was in Cage Warriors I took 300 people for a fight in London.
“For this one you could be looking at around 500.”
Ray added: “It’s a huge deal to get the chance to fight in my home country again . . . To have 13,000 Scots cheering for me will be amazing. It definitely puts more pressure on as well, though.”
Ray’s last win was the biggest of his UFC career and it also provided a valuable lesson. By not following orders from his corner, the 27-year-old dug himself a hole that was hard to get out of.
He recalled: “My coach (James Doolan) was telling me to box and not kick. “I didn’t listen and threw a kick. “He took me down and it should have cost me the fight, probably.
“I even threw a kick again in the third,” he added.
“Things definitely weren’t going my way in the first round, but when I got through it there were still 10 minutes to get the win.
“Like I say, I’ve learned a lesson and I’ve got another big name on my CV.
“Lightweight is the most stacked division in UFC.
“I’m definitely heading in the right direction but I’m nowhere near finished yet.
“Felder is a tough opponent. He’s fought some of the biggest names around.
“He’ll come to fight, and it should be an exciting one for the fans.
“This is the last fight on my UFC contract.
“Get past him and I can look at negotiating a new deal after that.”
Tickets for UFC Fight Night: Nelson v Ponzinibbio are now on sale via Ticketmaster.