“I would love to have a couple more fights this year”

One fighter intent on making a career comeback in 2023 is Sage Northcutt, an American set for a big return this May in ONE Championship.

Once hailed as a top, young prospect, his momentum came to a grinding halt at the mercy of the fists of Cosmo Alexandre nearly four years ago. Northcutt suffered a devastating injury that kept him on the shelf for a considerable amount of time.

The fight was 'Super' Sage’s ONE Championship debut, and since then, he’s relatively quiet and focused on tending to his own health and well-being.

However, it looks like Sage Northcutt is finally 100% and is ready to fight again this May against Ahmed Mujtaba in Colorado. In an interview with ONE Championship, Northcutt revealed his intention to not only walk back into the limelight, but to sprint up the ranks:

"If I get the opportunity I would love to have a couple more fights this year. I would love to be super active. I wanna knock out a couple of fights this year with ONE Championship and have great performances. That’s what I’m shooting for."

Sage Northcutt was brought into the UFC at the ripe age of nineteen, accumulating a 6-2 record. His move to ONE Championship was a big deal at the time, as he was still several years away from his athletic prime and riding a three-fight win streak in the North American promotion.

Even after taking his time to recover fully, he’s only twenty-six years old. He could very quickly regather the buzz that he has lost the past few years with a win at ONE Fight Night 10, and perhaps surpass expectations if he stays active this year.

Sage Northcutt aiming for “ideal” finish against Ahmed Mujtaba

Sage Northcutt's opponent for his big return is trailblazing Pakistani fighter Ahmed “Wolverine” Mujtaba, a veteran of six fights with ONE Championship.

Mujtaba may not have the fearsome kickboxing background of Northcutt’s last opponent, but he’s by no means a scrub meant for Sage Northcutt to re-enter the win column. Sage is confident, however, in his own skills and revealed his intent for their fight, saying:

"Whether it’s a submission, whether it’s ground-and-pound, or it’s a knockout, whatever it is, everybody wants a finish. That would be the ideal way to win, but you know I’m training for any aspect out there, so that way I’m prepared."

The odds are good for a finish between Sage Northcutt and Ahmed Mujtaba- of Sage’s eleven wins, he’s finished eight of them, while Mujtaba is riding back-to-back first-round stoppage wins in the Circle, most recently claiming an impressive submission victory over Abraao Amorim in November 2022.

ONE Fight Night 10 goes down on May 5th in Broomfield, Colorado, USA. It’s headlined by a flyweight world title fight between Demetrious Johnson and Adriano Moraes, and airs on Amazon Prime for North American subscribers.