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#3 Sage Northcutt
Despite coming off a win in his last fight, Northcutt will be feeling the pressure heading into his lightweight matchup against Thibault Gouti. The 21-year-old not only will be fighting in his home state of Texas, but he continuously looks to shake off the critics who suggest the Legacy FC standout isn't UFC ready. This stems from his poor showing in 2016 where he went 1-2 in the Octagon, suffering losses to Bryan Barberena and Mickey Gall in the welterweight division. It also comes from critics who believe the UFC has given him special treatment in both favorable opponents and desired fight placements on events.
Of all of Northcutt's four UFC victories, only one (Michel Quinones) is still on the UFC roster. The Lookin For A Fight competitor will be looking to make it back-to-back wins for the first time since Dec. 2015.
His opponent Gouti recently snapped a three-fight skid with an impressive TKO win over Andrew Holbrook at UFC Fight Night 115 in September. The 30-year-old has yet to see the judges scorecards in the UFC and hasn't gone to a decision since March 2014.
A win for Northcutt would put him back on track in the lightweight division, while another loss could put his roster spot at risk.
