Sage Northcutt reveals Urijah Faber will be cornering him in Japan against Shinya Aoki at ONE 165

A familiar face will be in Sage Northcutt’s corner when he takes on Shinya Aoki at ONE 165 this coming Sunday.

Retired MMA fighter-turned-coach Urijah Faber will once again make an appearance in the home of martial arts, acting as a second to ‘Super’ Sage at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

Northcutt confirmed this in an interview on The MMA Superfan’s YouTube channel:

“So my dad [Mark Northcutt] is one of my coaches. He's gonna be flying out with me. I also have Urijah Faber and my coach Fabio Prado, so I’ve got a great team around me for the fight.”

Considered one of the trailblazers who put the lighter weight classes on the map in the early days of MMA, Faber is a beloved figure in the combat sports community.

‘The California Kid’ hung up his gloves in 2019 and shifted his focus on training the next generation at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, which Northcutt considers home.

Faber’s influence on Northcutt was evident at ONE Fight Night 10 last year, where the American fan favorite submitted Ahmed Mujtaba quickly and devastatingly.

Under Faber’s tutelage, Northcutt displayed immense grappling improvement, which should come in handy against a submission specialist like Shinya Aoki.

Watch Sage Northcutt’s full interview:

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Shinya Aoki fight will be a make-or-break moment for Sage Northcutt’s career

‘Super’ Sage Northcutt’s successful return at ONE Fight Night 10 was certainly a touching moment, but the true test begins now.

After all, the American stud missed a significant chunk of his promising career due to unfortunate injuries and illness.

At just 27 years old, the sky’s still the limit for the talented Northcutt. But to be considered a true contender in the 170-pound weight class, he must first get past the division’s former overlord Shinya Aoki.

ONE 165: Superlek vs. Takeru will air live on Sunday, January 28, via global pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.