The 25-year-old fighter knows people are keen to see him face Otabek Kholmatov in a rematch but he’s admitted it is unlikely as he’s naturally ready to shift to the super-featherweight division.

He told Boxing News magazine: “A lot of people want me to do that but I’ve got to listen to my body.

“I’ve been fighting at this weight since I was an amateur, so I can’t fight at this weight much longer.

“I wasn’t at my best against Kholmatov, because making weight drained me.”

Preparing for the bout took a lot out of Ray.

He said: “I was exhausted and relieved that the fight was over.

“I had been away from my three-year-old daughter Malani for a month and a half. She’s my world now.

“When she was born, I was crying. I couldn’t control my tears.

“Just to have someone who looks up to me. She points to the TV and says ‘da-da’. When she grows up she will understand it.

“My last fight, she was more into it. I don’t know what I’d do without her. I love her to death.”

While Ray will share his skills with his little girl when she’s older, he wouldn’t want her to take up boxing as a career.

He said: “I would teach her a few things, but wouldn’t want her to be in a competition. It’s a dangerous sport.”