“I had one bad night” – Sage Northcutt shares how he dealt with detractors who wanted him to retire after Cosmo Alexandre loss

Even the greatest athletes figure in an off night, and Sage Northcutt, unfortunately, had one back in his ONE debut. The American star was all over the news after his shocking sub-minute knockout defeat to Cosmo Alexandre back in ONE: Enter the Dragon in 2019.

That 29-second loss had some devastating consequences for Northcutt, who suffered eight fractures to his face, which took nine hours to repair surgically. Upon recovery, ‘Super’ also dealt with some serious blood clot issues and the lingering effects of COVID-19, which further delayed his return.

During those dark times, Northcutt admitted he heard every insult from the book from his detractors online. Some even went as far as suggesting he should hang it up for good and never fight again.

The 27-year-old shared in his recent appearance on The MMA Superfan’s YouTube page:

“There's been [some doubts] after having a layoff for that long, almost four years. There was so many people, not just online, but people you hear through comments whatever it might be saying ‘Ah you should you shouldn't fight anymore. You shouldn't do this, you should turn away from the sport’ because I had one bad night."

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Sage Northcutt says a strong support system allowed him to weather adversity

Despite all the negative feedback he was getting, Sage Northcutt kept a positive mindset and focused on his road to recovery. He dedicated himself to the gym, honing new skills and making sure he was in tip-top shape for his return.

Northcutt proved his doubters wrong at ONE Fight Night 10 back in May, submitting Ahmed Mujtaba with a heel hook in the promotion’s historic United States on-site debut show.

The Evolve MMA and Team Alpha Male stud admitted he couldn’t have done it without the right people behind him:

“I had one bad night where I had an injury, but then you have your close group of people and friends and coaches that you surround yourself with and they know you best and that's what matters.”

Watch the full interview below: