“I’m very thankful” – Sage Northcutt looks back at remarkable 2023, grateful for return to lightweight mix at ONE

‘Super’ Sage Northcutt’s 2023 campaign couldn’t have gone any better.

This Sunday, January 28, Northcutt will return to the Circle as ONE Championship heads to Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan for ONE 165.

In the main event of the evening, fight fans will see the promotional debut of K-1 kickboxing legend Takeru Segawa, as he faces reigning ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Superlek Kiatmuu9.

But first, fans will see Northcutt back in action after a spectacular showing in his last outing at ONE Fight Night 10 in May of last year.

Following his sensational 39-second submission victory over Ahmed Mujtaba, Sage Northcutt will square off with Japanese MMA legend and former ONE lightweight world champion Shinya Aoki.

Speaking with The MMA Superfan ahead of his first appearance of 2024, Northcutt spoke about his impressive comeback last year and how thankful he is for the opportunity to compete on combat sports’ biggest global stage.

“I'm thankful for how my 2023 was. I'm thankful I was able to get back out there and have my first fight back with ONE and perform how I did and I'm very thankful for my health and getting to fight for such a great organization. There are so many things I want to say, but to keep it short, definitely happy with how my 2023 went.”

Sage Northcutt faces his toughest test yet against Shinya Aoki

While he only fought once in 2023, Northcutt was plagued with injuries and illnesses in the four years that separated him from his disastrous debut to his triumphant return.

That alone was worth celebrating, but his out-of-nowhere heel hook submission over the former Pakistani MMA champion was an undeniable cherry on top.

Kicking off his 2024 campaign, Sage Northcutt will face a very tough test when he meets one of Asia’s most beloved mixed martial arts, Shinya Aoki.

‘Tobikan Judan’ has struggled to find the win column as of late, dropping four straight bouts between MMA and submission grappling.

But with more than 20 years of experience and over 50 fights to his credit, you can never truly count out a fighter as experienced and well-rounded as Shinya Aoki.

ONE 165 airs live on Sunday, January 28 via global pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.