Sage Northcutt eager to showcase his improved ground game against submission specialist Shinya Aoki

American MMA superstar Sage Northcutt is set to lock horns with Japanese legend Shinya Aoki at ONE 165 on January 28.

This bout, which happens at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, is arguably the most high-profile fight in 'Super' Sage's career. Aoki is a former multi-time world champion and is one of the most successful jiu-jitsu purists in MMA history.

Since Northcutt's original martial arts background is karate, most fans are seeing this as a "striker versus grappler" affair. However, 'Super' Sage Northcutt would argue that he won't be a fish out of water against Aoki if the fight hits the ground.

Speaking with ESPN on YouTube, Northcutt admitted that he wants to showcase his improved ground game against 'Tobikan Judan':

"You know, I really believe in my grappling, my coaches did too. And I've been training and improving on the grappling so hard over the last bunch of years. So obviously looking at Shinya Aoki, everyone knows he's a legend in the sport, he's known for his grappling."

If you want to showcase how much you have truly improved your grappling, no other person to do that with than Aoki. If Northcutt can so much as survive the Japanese grappling legend's submissions attacks, we can say he's already a cut above the rest.

Watch the full interview here:

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Sage Northcutt showcased his improved grappling in his last performance in ONE Championship

At ONE Fight Night 10 in May last year, Sage Northcutt made his long-awaited return by swiftly submitting Pakistani MMA star, Ahmed Mujtaba.

Despite not being known as a submission artist, Sage Northcutt won the bout via a sneaky heel hook that made it to the evening's highlight reel. The win, however, didn't come without some adversity first.

Mujtaba knocked Northcutt down with a stiff jab early in the fight. The American MMA star, however, instantly regained his composure and worked his submission game from the closed guard.

He eventually created a marvelous entry to snatch a quick heel hook that forced his Pakistani foe to tap out at just 39 seconds into the first round.