EXCLUSIVE | Sage Northcutt Plotting Finish Over Shinya Aoki In ONE Championship Return
Drawing Asian MMA pioneer and submission-threat, Shinya Aoki in his first professional mixed martial arts outing in just less than two years, ONE Championship feature, ‘Super’ Sage Northcutt plans on stopping the veteran and announcing himself to the promotion on April 28 at ONE on TNT IV.
Making his first walk since May of 2019, Northcutt returns from a devastating first round knockout loss to heavy-hitter, kickboxing ace, Cosmo Alexandre in his ONE Championship debut. Dropped with a massive overhand shot inside thirty-seconds at ONE Championship: Enter the Dragon — the Texan required plastic surgery to repair a whopping eight separate facial fractures suffered in his matchup against the Brazilian — at a 185-pound welterweight limit.
In his second walk under the Chatri Sityodtong banner, Northcutt continues following his baptism of fire, drawing the decorated submission-specialist, former DEEP, Dream, and ONE Championship lightweight best, Aoki.
Under the tutelage of former WEC featherweight champion, Urijah Faber in Sacramento, California at Team Alpha MMA — Northcutt, spoke with LowKick MMA reporter, Ryan Jarrell recently, detailing how he plans to score his ninth career stoppage win when pitted with Aoki.
“I mean, obviously, I go out there to try and finish my opponent,” Northcutt said. “That’s the only way I see it — going out there to finish. I mean, you gotta be ready for anything that’s thrown at you, but I mean, I’m going out there with the intent to try and win and to finish him (Shinya Aoki) so, that’s my plan.“
A fourteen-fight professional veteran, Northcutt, who turned 25-years-old at the beginning of March, holds an 11-3 résumé — littered with five knockout wins and three submission stoppages.
The former kickboxer has managed victories in the UFC over the likes of Francisco Trevino, Cody Pfister, Thibaut Gouti, and Zak Ottow.
Faced with a formidable grappling threat in the form of Aoki, the 37-year-old Shikouza City veteran has managed to nab an incredible thirty separate submission victories across his storied career — besting the likes of Eduard Folayang, Kazushi Sakuraba, Kamal Shalorus, Antonio McKee, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Mizuto Hirota, Eddie Alvarez, Caol Uno, and George Sotiropoulos.
