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After four years away from competition, ‘Super’ Sage Northcutt has got some making up for lost time to do.
His return against Ahmed Mujtaba at ONE Fight Night 10 kick-started that process in style, as he went on to submit his opponent inside the first minute of their war at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado.
The next phase of his comeback comes with another huge fight at ONE 165 this weekend in Tokyo, Japan, where he will take on Japanese MMA legend and pioneer Shinya Aoki inside the Ariake Arena.
In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, ‘Super’ Sage Northcutt spoke about his anticipation for this fight and he plans to capitalize on it:
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“This is the biggest opportunity I’ve had in ONE, the biggest opponent,” said Northcutt. “He’s an ex-champion, had almost 60 pro fights, never been submitted, and he’s one of the longest-reigning champs, too. And Japan is the home of fighting. Even in anime, right? This is a huge opportunity. I’m really pumped for it.”
Northcutt continued, adding that he intends on stopping his opponent and putting on a show for the Japanese fans in the process:
“I’m coming to bring it. I’m looking for a finish, and it’s going to be exciting.”
Finishing Shinya Aoki will be a huge feather in the cap of Sage Northcutt
Submitting Ahmed Mujtaba at ONE Fight Night 10 last May was an incredible way for Sage Northcutt to put himself back on the map of the organization’s talent-jammed lightweight MMA division.
Earning a win over a legend of the game like Shinya Aoki, and a former ONE lightweight MMA world champion, will be another big statement victory for ‘Super’ Sage - one that will definitely allow him to continue building momentum under the ONE Championship banner.
Putting Aoki away, which is notoriously hard to do, will be a big added bonus for Northcutt. A signature win to go on his record that will prove that all of his hard work and dedication during the difficult years is now paying off for him.
ONE 165 airs live on Sunday, January 28, via global pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.
