Sage Northcutt grateful to have faced ‘super-skilled’ fighter Ahmed Mujtaba in return from four-year hiatus

After four years of being away from the world of MMA, Sage Northcutt put together a masterclass of a performance against Ahmed Mujtaba at ONE Fight Night 10 this past May.

There was great concern on Northcutt's part after he was rocked with a straight left from Mujtaba, but the Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belter was more than ready to respond to the adversity.

Upon slowing down the action for just a few moments, 'Super' took advantage of Mujtaba's eagerness to stand up and immediately locked in a heel hook that forced the Pakistani standout to tap out.

Northcutt would ponder on the experience he had in facing Mujtaba and sent praise his way during an interview with The MMA Superfan:

“Ahmed, he was a great opponent, super skilled fighter. I can't even explain how it felt coming back after almost four years and coming back and having that fight versus Ahmed. My feelings and my excitement walking out there and hearing the crowd and just being in that environment again was absolutely crazy.”

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Sage Northcutt forged his own redemption story and what lies ahead

Upon joining ONE Championship in May 2019, hopes were high that the Sacramento native would excel with the world’s largest martial arts promotion.

However, his defeat at the hands of Cosmo Alexandre resulted in him having to be sidelined for an extended amount of time due to facial fractures - and him having to deal with the many, many detractors that emerged.

Looking ahead to his next bout, Northcutt has made it clear that he still wants to face Japanese legend and former ONE lightweight MMA world champion Shinya Aoki.

It was a bout that was originally set for April 2021, but Northcutt had to withdraw due to lingering COVID-19 effects. Facing Aoki would be the ultimate test for Northcutt and coming out with a victory, whether by decision, knockout or submission, will be a major feather in his cap.

Watch the full interview with Northcutt here:

The replay of ONE Championship’s Amazon cards is available anytime on demand for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.