PFL and Dana White step up as MMA pro Stevie Ray seeks donations for his 7 year old’s brain surgery

UFC veteran Stevie Ray is receiving an outpouring of support from the MMA community as he tries to raise funds for his daughter’s brain surgery.

Ray’s seven-year-old daughter, Myla Ray, has been suffering from life-threatening seizures since 2019 and was diagnosed with Cortical Dysplasia Type 2 last October.

The only way to prevent cot death and “remove the abnormality” from her brain’s frontal lobe is through surgery. As a result, Ray has set up a GoFundMe page with a goal of raising £100,000, and his old boss, UFC president Dana White, has donated £10,000 to the cause.

Ray’s current employer, PFL, has also pledged £15,000 to the cause, and several other people in the MMA community have made donations, including Sean O’Connell, Lerone Murphy, Shane Burgos, Paul Craig, Kayla Harrison, and Ariel Helwani. It is heartwarming to see the MMA community rally together to support one of their own during this difficult time.

Stevie Ray first made a name for himself in Cage Warriors before signing with the UFC. During his time with the company, he picked up notable wins over Ross Pearson, Joe Lauzon, and Michael Johnson.

He also holds a famous grappling win over Paddy Pimblett after catching him in a heel hook following a flying scissor takedown when they met at Polaris 11 in August 2019. Ray briefly retired before signing with PFL in 2022 and impressing with back-to-back wins over former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis.

Despite losing in PFL’s lightweight tournament final against Olivier Aubin-Mercier in November, Ray hopes to return to the win column when he takes on Natan Schulte next month in the first event of PFL’s lucrative 2023 lightweight tournament.

With the support of the MMA community behind him, Ray can focus on his family’s well-being and his fighting career, knowing that he has the backing of his fellow MMA stars and fans.

You too can help little Myla if you can, here.