Sage Northcutt knows he can’t flip through ‘big fight’ against Shinya Aoki: “I’m excited for that one”

In one of the best stories of the year, Sage Northcutt finally made his return to competition in May.

Getting back on track in his career, ‘Super’ Sage received a hero’s welcome when he stepped out in front of the U.S. fans in Broomfield, Colorado, at ONE Fight Night 10.

Since signing with ONE Championship, Northcutt has had an extremely difficult period in his career, which saw him sitting on the sidelines for four years.

With the promotion’s on-ground North American debut on the cards for May, the stage was set perfectly for the promising contender to make his return, and he did so in style by securing a heel hook submission against Ahmed Mujtaba in a matter of seconds.

During his time away from the spotlight, after recovering from the injuries and surgery that came as a result of his ONE debut, Northcutt was set to make a return two years into his absence.

Unfortunately, a long-term battle with COVID-19 added further delays to fans getting to see the Team Alpha Male fighter back in there.

Despite the extra time that it took him to make it back to competition, ‘Super’ Sage remained positive. Now that he’s back, he’s looking to make up for all that lost time.

First on his agenda after beating Mujtaba is to rebook the fight that was originally scheduled to be his comeback two years ago.

MMA legend Shinya Aoki paved the way for a lot of fighters to walk on. Before the Japanese fan favorite calls time on his career, Sage Northcutt is hoping to put on a show for the fans with him.

In an interview with ONE Championship, he spoke about pursuing the Aoki fight and where his motivation for this contest comes from:

“He’s the former champion. He’s nobody to look over. That’s a big fight. I’m excited for that one. Hopefully, we get that here soon.”