Sage Northcutt had a near-impossible entry into the highest level of MMA.
At just 19 years old, the highly decorated karate stylist was picked up by the UFC in 2015 after company president Dana White spotted him at a regional MMA event in Texas that was being filmed for the reality series Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight.
While he was undefeated at the time, many openly questioned whether a teenage athlete could thrive in the biggest organization in the sport. While Northcutt would go a quite respectable 6–2 in a three-year run with the promotion across the lightweight and welterweight divisions, company officials elected not to offer him a new deal in 2018, after the end of his contract, citing a need for him to gain experience outside the UFC.
When he looks back at the experience, the perennially positive Northcutt insists he wouldn’t have changed anything as it relates to the UFC, but only in his attempt at trying to balance college studies with his budding fight career.
“Are you kidding me?” Northcutt asks MMA Underground. “I enjoyed that. Coming into the UFC at 19, being one of the youngest fighters at the time, that’s something I really enjoyed, that I do not want to take back. If I could change something, though, I would go back, put the engineering that I was trying to study at the same time, I’d put that on hold a lot sooner and I’d devote my time fully and get into an MMA gym with a bunch of fighters, a bunch of pro guys, getting those live goes. That’s something that I would have changed sooner if I could have, and I feel like that would have made a big difference.”
Following his departure from the UFC, Northcutt ultimately elected not to target a return to the regional scene to gain experience but rather to sign with Asia's leading promotion, ONE Championship. He also moved up a weight class for his debut for the company, a 2019 clash with former world champion kickboxer Cosmo Alexandre.
Things quickly took a turn for the worse, with Alexandre needing just 29 seconds to score a devastating knockout that left Northcutt in need of a lengthy surgery to help repair eight facial fractures.
Despite the brutal result, Northcutt says he never once doubted that his future remained in fighting.
“My first fight with ONE Championship, obviously it didn’t go as planned,” Northcutt says. “I had an injury, took some time to heal up from that, but within 24 hours after my first fight with ONE, I was like, Man, that was a bad night. That’s not how I want to have my rest of my career with ONE. I want to get back out there, and since then I’ve been really eager to get out there, so I’ve been trying to stay hopeful and positive.”
Courtesy ONE Championship
Northcutt made an attempt at returning to action in 2021, when he was scheduled to face MMA legend Shinya Aoki in Singapore. However, he tested positive for COVID-19 the week before he was scheduled to travel overseas and was ruled out of the bout, then suffered unexpected complications during his recovery process that took him six months to work past.
Despite all the hurdles, Northcutt says he remained focused on improving as a martial artist in anticipation of his inevitable return.
“I’ve been consistently in training, staying in shape, obviously, so I’m really looking forward to getting back out there,” Northcutt says. “Four years, it’s a long time since I fought last. I feel like I’ve had the time to really hone in on some stuff, and I’m really excited to show all the hard work I've been putting in.”
On Friday, Northcutt will finally get that chance.
Now 27, Northcutt (11–3) faces Pakistan’s Ahmed Mujtaba (10–2) at the historic ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes III event, ONE Championship's first fight card to take place on U.S. soil.
The card will stream live on Amazon Prime from the sold-out 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo. Northcutt says he’s acutely aware of the dangers his opponent provides.
“Me, my coaches, we watch tape, kind of break it down—some good stuff, bad stuff, seeing what’s going on,” Northcutt says. "You look back at his last two fights—one, he had a knockout, and he had a very unique submission, so definitely stuff that I’m keeping in mind, I’m aware of. But also I’ve had these past four years. I’ve been training hard, been going with some of the best guys, and I’m really looking forward to showing my hard work, too.”
In many ways, stepping into the cage once again after such a lengthy time away is already a success, but Northcutt insists he’s not interested in moral victories. Just getting back in there isn’t enough.
“Man, I want to win this fight,” Northcutt says. “Definitely going out there to win.”
Friday’s event certainly feels like a fresh start for the fighter who once seemed destined for the spotlight but was forced to the sidelines for reasons beyond his control. Northcutt believes it could be the start of something special.
“Right now, I tell you what, I’m pretty zoned in on this fight and I’m focused on this fight. But after this, I would like to be very active,” Northcutt says. “I’ve always liked to be active with my fights, so I really, really would like to have a great career with ONE championship.”
