“That is a huge fight for me” - Sage Northcutt believes Shinya Aoki is a proper boss battle in his ONE Championship career

Sage Northcutt will have the biggest fight of his career on Sunday, January 28, as he takes on the legendary Japanese star Shinya Aoki in his own backyard at ONE 165 at Ariake Arena.

It will be no easy task for ‘Super’ Sage at all. That's because Aoki’s resume features 13 wins, 10 of which came by submission. He is also a former ONE lightweight MMA world champion.

Northcutt, who is coming off a hard-fought return to form from injury, is fully aware of the stakes awaiting him, and despite the respect that he has for ‘Tobikan Judan’, Northcutt wants the statement victory.

He had this to say in an interview with The MMA Superfan:

“Yes, absolutely. I'm very excited. Shinya Aoki was an ex-champion for ONE Championship, as you know, he’s one of the longest champions and he's had almost 60 pro fights. Also taking mixed martial arts into the fact he's never been submitted out there inside mixed martial arts. So it's something that is a huge fight for me.”

Fans can watch the entirety of the interview with Sage Northcutt below:

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Fans divided between Aoki and Northcutt ahead of ONE 165

The hype surrounding Aoki and Northcutt is as palpable as it can get due to the titanic clash between the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belte in Aoki and the karate black belte in Northcutt.

As such, ONE Championship held a fan poll on who they believe is leaving the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, with the win. It was nearly right down the middle, with Aoki being the slight favorite in the eyes of combat sport enthusiasts.

It all comes to a head on Sunday, January 28.

Check your local listings or visit ONE Championship's official website on how to watch ONE 165 from your location.