Sage Northcutt credits insane athleticism to karate background

Sage Northcutt credits his incredible athleticism to being a lifelong martial artist.

Training from an early age, Northcutt has already earned a lifetime of accomplishments, winning a total of 77 world youth championships in karate and becoming the youngest person ever to feature on the cover of Sport Karate Magazine. Earning his black belt in Shuri-ryū Karate, Northcutt has parlayed his karate skills into a successful mixed martial arts career.

Much of that can be accredited to his incredible athleticism both in and out of the circle. Anyone who has seen Sage Northcutt’s unique post-fight celebration knows exactly what we’re talking about. The Texas native delivers a signature front flip following a victory, giving fans something to talk about from the moment he enters the cage to the second he leaves it:

“I practiced it since I was very young. Different flips, different tricks,” Northcutt said in an interview with ESPN MMA. “I trained gymnastics growing up so that really helped out, a lot of core strengths, I learned those things too. But I learned a lot of those flips and tricks from karate.”

On Friday night, Sage Northcutt will look to deliver a big win and his signature flip in front of a sold-out crowd at the 1stBank Center in Denver, Colorado. Standing in his way will be Pakistani standout Ahmed Mujtaba. Carrying the momentum of back-to-back first-round finishes in his last two appearances, the budding lightweight contender is determined to score the biggest win of his career, solidifying his status as a legitimate threat in the division.

Amazon Prime Subscribers can catch Sage Northcutt vs. Ahmed Mujtaba, plus all the action from ONE Fight Night 10 live and for free in U.S. primetime this Friday night.