“It's a big opportunity” – Sage Northcutt grateful to share the circle with a legend of the sport like Shinya Aoki

American martial artist Sage Northcutt considers his scheduled fight later this month as a key juncture in his career, as he gets to battle one of the legends in the game in Shinya Aoki. He sees it as a great opportunity to further showcase what he is made of as a fighter.

‘Super’ Sage takes on ‘Tobikan Judan’ at ONE 165: Superlek vs Takeru on January 28 at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, in a lightweight MMA clash.

In an interview with ESPN MMA, 27-year-old Northcutt spoke about his upcoming fight and the legendary fighter he is up against. He said:

“Obviously, he’s a legend of the sport. He's had almost 60 pro fights and I think the thing that excites me a lot and the most is that he was a champion for ONE Championship and one of the longest champs for the league. So he’s a top-ranked opponent, so getting to fight him is huge and it's a big opportunity for me.”

Watch the interview below:

At ONE 165, Sage Northcutt is out to make it back-to-back victories since making his return from a long hiatus because of various medical issues last year. He made it a successful comeback in May by submitting Pakistani Ahmed Mujtaba by heel hook just 39 seconds into their match.

Aoki, meanwhile, is looking to celebrate the return of ONE Championship to Japan after nearly five years with a victory in front of his hometown fans.

ONE 165: Superlek vs. Takeru will air live via global pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.

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Sage Northcutt angling for world title shot as he advances in ONE journey

After seeing his ONE Championship journey take a long unexpected detour because of injuries, Sage Northcutt is seeking to make up for lost time by competing in matches that could lead him to an eventual world title shot.

It is this tack that he wants to pursue as he continues with his delayed push in the largest martial arts organization in the world, sharing in a recent ‘Ask Me Anything’ session on Reddit:

“I don't actually have a dream opponent but my goal is to fight and win the title with whoever is holding it when my time comes.”

Northcutt’s next stop will be coming in two weeks’ time as he battles Japanese legend Shinya Aoki at ONE 165: Superlek vs Takeru on January 28 in Japan.

It is a fight that he has been seeking for the longest time as he makes his way to the top of his division.