Ex-UFC superstar Stevie Ray hopes to 'give something back to locals' at upcoming Fife shows

Recalling his unforgiving upbringing on a Kirkcaldy council estate, Braveheart MMA gym owner Ray, 35, told the Fife Free Press: “I started MMA on an electronic tag for fighting in the street in 2009. That just kind of shows you what path I was going down.

"I basically lived in Kirkcaldy my whole life. I wouldn't say there was a gang culture, but I was brought up in a council estate so I've seen a lot of rough stuff. It's been some journey.

"What made me get into MMA was one of my friends who was training. He told me to go along, try it. It was a private club (Edge MMA in Kirkcaldy).

"He was saying he thought I'd be good at it. So I just thought I'd go along, try it and I pretty much fell in love with it. I loved it.

"The jiu-jitsu part, I really fell in love with. The fact you don't need to be the bigger guy.

"I went along and was training and there were really small guys that were able to tap me out, choke me, submit me. What I love about jiu-jitsu is obviously you can do it carefully.

"You don't get hurt. When you're boxing, sparring or even sometimes striking, sparring, you're getting hit and stuff, even though it's careful.

"But with jiu-jitsu, there's no contact really. You're just trying to submit each other and if you get submitted, you can tap.

"I pretty much took to MMA like a duck to water and in 2015 I signed with the UFC."

The 5ft 10’ ex-lightweight and welterweight ace, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who became a two-time Cage Warriors lightweight champion and BAMMA British lightweight champion and travelled the world during his long fighting career, reflected on his achievements by saying: "It was good. I travelled the world, made a good amount of money.

"I fought for a million dollars in that world title fight in Madison Square Garden, New York, in 2022 but I got beaten by Olivier Aubin-Mercier in that final.

“I was winning the second round but then I got knocked out at the end of that round. It was a close fight and then I just got caught last shot.

"I had felt tremendous pressure going into that fight. I couldn't wait until it was over, to be honest.

"Don't get me wrong, you got paid per fight as well. I made a decent amount of money in the tournament, but obviously lost it on the big pay day at the end.

“When I look back, obviously, I'm like: ‘Wow. I fought in Madison Square Garden twice. Obviously, once I won, once I lost.

"I fought pretty much everywhere, Canada, Dubai, America."

In an attempt to provide a platform leading to bigger and better things for the next generation of amateur Scottish fighting stars, Ray and business partner Steven Heggie are organising a pair of MMA shows to take place in the 800-capacity Rothes Hall in Glenrothes, on Saturday, July 26 and Saturday, October 18.

Tickets for the shows – which will feature commentary by UFC star Paul Craig – are now on sale from £48 online at https://fixr.co/event/braveheart-promotions-tickets-173873731?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAadtxPhC3kSf2rOC73mwkMgzsvm9xplGfGuTJZoUeUzm88EsCE8PeNxZli0Tig_aem_au7clSjpWDOxV9uAtlk9kA. People attending must be aged 14 or over and accompanied by an adult if under 16.

Ray added: “We're just trying to get the amateur MMA scene back on. When I first started 15 years ago, there were some shows in Fife and that obviously gave me an opportunity to make it where I got to.

"So we're looking to try and build the Scottish MMA scene, starting with these two shows, just for some Scottish fighters to showcase their skills.

"We have some local MMA fighters like Bradley Scott and Keegan Cairns. We're looking at probably 15 to 20 fights of potentially nine minutes. They are each three, three-minute rounds.

“We're going to be focusing on MMA. But we might have Muay Thai or kickboxing, contact sports.

“A minimum of five, potentially 10, of my students will be fighting. And then we've got guys from other gyms around Scotland who are going to be involved as well.

"It should be good. I'm finished with my career now, so I'm just looking to try and help the up-and-coming fighters and even people needing something to help them with training.

"I know that the training helped me stay out of trouble. It gave me a career path and also something to get rid of my aggression and stuff.”

Dad of four Ray, whose wife Nathalie is a full-time mum, will no doubt be an inspirational figure for anyone trying to follow in his MMA footsteps. His professional MMA record read as 26 wins and 13 losses from his 39 fights, which were staged between 2010 and 2024.

Sponsors are wanted for the upcoming MMA show in Glenrothes.

Businesses can benefit from a ‘Sponsor a Fight’ announcement, get their company name/logo on a live pay per view stream and be included in the event’s build-up interview graphics; receive invitational tickets and get meet and greets on the night.

To inquire, direct message the Braveheart MMA Facebook page.