 Born and raised in Chicago, Ray began training in martial arts from a young age.He is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Carlos Gracie Jr.

Ray made his professional debut in 2000, competing primarily at Welterweight, he amassed a record of 8-1-1 before appearing for the UFC.Ray made his UFC debut at UFC 51 on February 5, 2005 against Canadian David Loiseau.