Outside Source
Steven Ray will come out of retirement for a second time for an opportunity to fight on home soil.
Ray will lock horns with Lewis Long in the welterweight main event of a PFL Europe card at the OVO Hyrdo in Glasgow, Scotland, on Sept. 28. The promotion announced the booking on Tuesday. The card marks the organization’s first trip to Scotland and will also see Robert Whiteford face Roger Huerta in a 150-pound catchweight bout in the evening’s co-headliner. Additionally, the card will feature PFL Europe postseason bouts, and more Scottish athletes will be added to the event in the coming weeks.
“We are going to put on an MMA spectacle in Glasgow this September and make it a truly memorable debut for PFL in Scotland,” said PFL Europe head of fighter operations Dan Hardy in a release. “Glasgow is a city brimming with talent, and we’re getting excited to fill the card with not only Europe’s finest, but with a real focus on Scotland’s future MMA stars.
Ray is making his MMA return after announcing his second retirement in June 2023 following the conclusion of the PFL lightweight season. The 34-year-old Scot notably reached the PFL finals in 2022 after a pair of victories over Anthony Pettis before ultimately falling to Olivier Aubin-Mercier in the championship. “Braveheart initially called it a career in 2020 following a 7-4 stint in the UFC, citing chronic knee issues as the reason for his exit. The former Cage Warriors champion went 0-2 during his 2023 PFL campaign, falling to Natan Schulte and Clay Collard in lightweight matchups.
A native of Wales, the 35-year-old Long has compiled a 20-7 career mark while competing for promotions such as Bellator and Cage Warriors. After a 3-2 run with Bellator from 2020 to 2022, Long returned to action this past September, scoring a 33-second submission of Ashley Griffiths on the regional scene.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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