“Super” Sage Northcutt‘s return at ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes III on Prime Video is almost four years in the making.
After overcoming a near-career-ending injury in his promotional debut, and a bout of COVID-19 that delayed his initial return, “Super” is happy to finally be making his way back to the Circle.
Things could have gone down a different route for the lifelong martial artist, but consistency and hard work has led him to his sophomore outing against Ahmed “Wolverine” Mujtaba at ONE’s debut on-ground event at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado, on May 5.
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“Oh man, I’ll tell you what, it feels so good to be back. It’s been a while. I’ve been itching to get back,” the 26-year-old shared.
Northcutt was originally fired up to return to ONE against former lightweight king Shinya Aoki last year.
But in a cruel turn of events, Northcutt tested positive for Covid-19, which put his comeback on the back burner.
However, he continued to train with intent and was focused on staying fighting fit.
Making a return straight to the US soil
That tenacity has now been rewarded with a spot on ONE’s first-ever card to go down live in North America – arguably the grandest stage to make his return.
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“Getting the fight in the United States, the first U.S. card for ONE Championship, I couldn’t be more excited for that,” Northcutt added.
“You have an incredible fighter, Demetrious Johnson, headlining the card. So, the card’s going to be super exciting, especially for the first card in the U.S. I’m so excited.”
While his short-term goal is to try and leave the Circle with his first promotional win, “Super” will use his battle with Mujtaba to gauge what more can be done to up his overall game.
Sage Northcutt aims for a busy year hereafter
Four years is a long time to be away from competition, and it could lead to discussions related to ring rust and stamina.
However, Northcutt’s champion mentality hasn’t changed at all. If anything, the time off has allowed him to grow, and he’s ready to showcase his development.
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And if he wins, and things go his way, the lightweight competitor would love to take it a step further and make 2023 a statement year inside the Circle.
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“If I get the opportunity, I would love to have a couple more fights this year. I would love to be super active,” Northcutt said.
“I want to knock out a couple of fights this year with ONE Championship and have great performances. That’s what I’m shooting for.”