Sage Northcutt reveals layoff struggles, explains how catching COVID-19 complicated and delayed his return

By the time ‘Super’ Sage Northcutt returns to the circle later this year for ONE Championship’s debut in the United States, it will be nearly four years since his last appearance.

In January, ONE announced that Sage Northcutt would make his long-awaited return to the promotion after suffering a disastrous loss in his debut in May 2019. Determined to get back into the win column, he’ll face dangerous Pakistani fighter Ahmed Mujtaba on May 5.

Ahead of his return, Northcutt appeared on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani to discuss what led to his long layoff. During the conversation, Northcutt noted that he was scheduled to return in April 2021 at ONE on TNT IV for a fight with Asian MMA legend Shinya Aoki. As the fight grew closer, ‘Super’ was not medically cleared to compete.

Northcutt confirmed that he was still dealing with the lingering effects of an especially difficult bout with COVID-19, which he'd contracted earlier in the year:

“I had to sit at home and that was the hardest thing, sitting still and not doing anything. I think that’s what really got me. Being so active all the time, sitting around for several days not doing anything whatsoever, feeling super sick. I ended up getting a blood clot. That took a little bit of time, the blood thinners, trying to make that go away.”

Catch the full interview below:

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Eduard Folayang wants a shot at Sage Northcutt

Former ONE lightweight world champion Eduard Folayang has certainly seen better days inside the circle.

Currently riding a five-fight losing streak, Folayang is desperate for a win and believes he might be able to get one against ‘Super’ Sage Northcutt. At the very least, the two can provide fans with an entertaining scrap.

Speaking with ONE Championship, ‘Landslide’ shared his thoughts on the potential matchup, saying:

“I think his biggest strength against me would be his youth. He’s also much bigger than I am, and that would make for a great matchup. We’re both strikers, and it’s wushu vs. karate, so I think the fans will be happy with that. It would be pure excitement because we both go for the finish.”

Folayang has been a mainstay in ONE Championship since the promotion’s debut more than a decade ago. While he has earned notable wins against Shinya Aoki and Amir Khan, the Team Lakay star has had trouble getting into the win column in recent years, dropping seven of his last eight bouts.