Scottish MMA legend Stevie Ray enjoyed a night to remember at the PFL Europe Playoffs in Glasgow, Scotland, as he claimed a crowd-pleasing submission with a finish he invented, then hinted that he might continue his career, if the price is right.
Ray had previously defeated former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis with a modified twister submission back in 2022. It was a highlight-reel moment, and led Ray to describe the finish as a “Scottish Twister”.
And, on Saturday night at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Ray pulled out his signature move once again to defeat a dogged and determined Lewis Long in the main event.
Ray attempted a string of submissions during the bout, which spent most of its four minutes, 24 seconds on the mat. But Long, himself a superb grappler, defended the disadvantageous positions admirably as he forced Ray to switch techniques over and over again in a bid to claim a first-round finish.
And, with the clock ticking down in the final minute of the round, Ray worked his way into position to lock up the “Scottish Twister” once again, and this time Long was forced to concede defeat, with the tap coming with just 36 seconds left in the round.
It gave Ray an emotional finish on home soil in a bout that he had hinted would be his last in MMA.
But, speaking to Dan Hardy after his victory, Ray left the door open to a PFL return as he revealed that his contract was now up and he is now a free agent.
“It was supposed to be my last fight. To be honest, I’m not 100 percent sure,” he said.
“It’s tough, but I love this. So, has anybody seen ‘The Wolf of Wall Street,’ where he gets to the point where he’s ‘I’m not f*****g leaving!’ Maybe one more!
“I’ve not a contract or anything now. I’m technically a free agent. Obviously, I want to stay with the PFL … Donn Davis, Pete Murray, if you want to see this again, get the wallet out!”
