Sage Northcutt not discouraged by health setbacks ahead of return, still aims at ONE Championship title

Sage Northcutt sure is a positive man, and he’s using that gift to its fullest while he steps out of a down period of his fighting career.

The former UFC prospect finally makes his return to competition May 5 at ONE Fight Night 10 in Broomfield, Colo. Northcutt takes on Ahmed Mujtaba in a lightweight bout (170 pounds under ONE Championship rules) in his first fight in nearly four years.

Multiple facial fractures in his KO loss to Cosmo Alexandre in 2019, the halt of the sports world due to the pandemic and complications from COVID-19 have kept Northcutt away from the cage for longer than he wished for.

It’s been a frustrating period for him, but not one that has affected his goals or outlook on the sport.

“Like everybody, I think most people in ONE Championship or in this sport, they want to be the champ, so that hasn’t changed for me,” Northcutt told MMA Junkie. “Some of the best fighters out there, they have off nights. You look at Georges St-Pierre, he had off nights and lost fights. On the odds and on paper, he wasn’t going to lose, but sometimes the best fighters and best people out there have their nights.

“So for me, I want to be very active and have a great career with ONE Championship.”

That much time away from the sport could bring pressure to many looking to dive back in. However, Northcutt is excited beyond everything else. The 27-year-old can’t wait to get in the cage.

“It’s been a little bit of time, but I’ve been keeping watch on the fighters and watching how the game is kind of evolving over the last four years,” Northcutt said. “For me, it’s kind of excitement, not nervousness. I think that every fighter when they go out there, they all get those butterflies in the stomach, and you’re anxious to get out there, so I think I will probably have that. It’s going to be exciting to see how I’m feeling the day of the fight.”