Sage Northcutt explains why he didn’t lose a step despite extended time away from competition

At ONE Fight Night 10, Sage Northcutt returned to the circle to snap his four-year inactive period.

There were a lot of questions coming into May 5 about what this version of ‘Super’ Sage would look like after being away from competition for such a long time. His ONE Championship debut in 2019 ended in a 30-second knockout that required Northcutt to take time away from the spotlight to undergo surgery and a lengthy recovery process.

After his return was further delayed by COVID-19, Northcutt had a lot to prove this time around.

Stepping into the sold-out 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado at ONE Championship’s US debut, he answered a lot of those questions with his performance against Ahmed Mujtaba.

After a difficult start to the fight, Northcutt proved once again that he has got the heart of a champion and is no stranger to adversity. From bottom position, he kept his composure and locked up a heel hook submission to earn his first win under the ONE banner.

In his post-event interview, the 27-year old reflected on his time away from the circle and how he kept himself at the top of his game:

“I think one of the big things was the mindset. Of course, I’ve been training to stay sharp but when I go out there, I’m looking for a finish. I’ve just been training with a great team, great coaches. We’ve been working all around to be very well-rounded and fix the holes in my game. Just been really staying in the gym, staying sharp.”

Watch the full post-event press conference below:

With his victory over Ahmed Mujtaba, Sage Northcutt is well and truly back on track.

In case you missed it the first time around, the entire ONE Fight Night 10 is available to watch via free replay on Prime Video for North American viewers.