“It just pumps me up more” – Sage Northcutt unbothered by Shinya Aoki’s antics ahead of their clash at ONE 165

American martial artist Sage Northcutt is not bothered by the antagonistic antics he has been getting from upcoming opponent Shinya Aoki ahead of their scheduled clash this weekend. In fact, they have only served as further motivation for him to come up with a win.

‘Super’ Sage battles ‘Tobikan Judan’ at ONE 165: Superlek vs. Takeru on Sunday, January 28, in Tokyo, Japan, in a featured lightweight MMA showdown.

It will be the 27-year-old Texas native’s second fight after returning to action last May following a four-year hiatus because of various medical issues.

In the lead-up to ONE 165, Sage Northcutt has received a cold reception from Aoki, which he admits comes as a surprise but something he does not let consume him.

He shared to ONE Championship in an interview:

“Yeah, you know, there was a little bit of stuff. I don't think it was translation issues. I mean, I had people translate it and he's definitely saying some interesting stuff on Twitter. I guess the whole press conference, not shaking my hand, just kind of serious, getting ready for the fight.”

Northcutt added:

“Man, it just pumps me up more to where I want to go train even harder. I'm going to try to hit him super hard out there, so it doesn't frustrate me at all. It was just interesting.”

In his return to competition in May 2023, Sage Northcutt was impressive, submitting Pakistani fighter Ahmed Mujtaba by heel hook in just 39 seconds.

Aoki, meanwhile, is out to get a win at ONE 165 as he defends home turf.

ONE 165: Superlek vs. Takeru will take place at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo and air live on Sunday, January 28, via global pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.

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Sage Northcutt out to advance ONE campaign with victory at ONE 165

With his ONE Championship journey derailed for some time because of various medical issues, Sage Northcutt is determined to advance his campaign to make up for the lost time when he was away.

The Evolve MMA/Team Alpha Male standout continues with his rebooted push at ONE 165: Superlek vs. Takeru on January 28 in Tokyo, Japan. There, he battles Japanese legend Shinya Aoki in a lightweight MMA clash, which he sees as an important stop for him and needs to get a win from.

In an interview with ESPN MMA, Northcutt shared the significance of facing off against ‘Tobikan Judan’ and getting a win in relation to his push to advance his ONE campaign.

‘Super’ Sage 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:

Sage Northcutt made his ONE debut in May 2019 but suffered multiple facial fractures after being knocked out by Brazilian Cosmo Alexandre in the opening round.

It required a long recovery period. Apart from it, he also had to deal with other medical concerns, including COVID-19, extending his hiatus to nearly four years.

Now back in the swing of things, he is now out to chalk up the wins and put himself in a spot to vie for the world title.