'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
ONE Championship's high-profile acquisition and former UFC rising star 'Super' Sage Northcutt is going to fight at ONE: X. The Asian organization is pulling out all the stops with their 10-year anniversay event and Northcutt will be part of it.
The former UFC star had a very unpleasant welcome inside the Circle when he debuted in 2019. Northcutt was thrown into the wolves right away when he fought Cosmo 'Good Boy' Alexandre in ONE's welterweight (185-pound) division.
The former Karate champion was knocked out in the first round, causing major fractures around his orbital bone.
A lot could be attributed to the cause of Northcutt's devastating loss. Aside from fighting the former kickboxing world champion in his debut fight, Northcutt also fought in a division way above his usual.
Northcutt's never fought above 170 pounds and most of his best work happened at 155 pounds. Ballooning to more than 185 pounds and fighting an elite striker native to that weight class may have contributed largely to his KO loss.
With that said, the once-dubbed future of the sport still has major potential to be exactly that. Northcutt's all-American nice-guy smile and Greek god physique are almost custom built to bring butts to seats. He just needs to choose carefully the paths that he'll take moving forward.
With 'Super' being part of the most high-profile ONE Championship event ever, it's a perfect opportunity for him to gain back some momentum. Two years away from the sport, however, is no joke.
Today we weigh down the prodigious young American's options and list down five possible opponents for his ONE: X fight.
#5. ONE Championship Special Rules match with Jake Paul
Okay, we'll admit, this is a bit farfetched and we're having a bit of fun with this entry. Just imagine, however, if the white-hot Jake Paul enters the ONE Championship MMA cage and squares up against Sage Northcutt.
We can see the marquee already: 'The Problem Child vs. The Golden Child'. We know that's not Northcutt's nickname but it might as well be. The kid's so nice you'll find it almost annoying. Both him and Paul are 25 years old and have wildly different personalities. It's a classic good boy vs. bad boy tale and we're here for it.
This bout also paints a compelling picture of the two contrasting ends of Gen Z culture clashing in the center of the cage. It makes for a really intriguing bout and could skyrocket ONE and Northcutt (and maybe even Paul) further into the stratosphere.
#4. ONE Championship lightweight bout against Timofey Nastyukhin
From a match-up standpoint, this ONE Championship lightweight fight does a lot for both fighters' stock. Russian berzerker Timofey Nastyukhin is coming off 2021's Fight of the Year against Dagi Arlanaliev.
Despite a losing effort, Nastyukhin proved that he has a heart of a thousand lions and will come down swinging no matter what.
Both Nastyukhin and Northcutt are coming off losses but their stocks are still up. Northcutt would benefit a lot out of beating someone of Nastyukhin's caliber and reputation.
Nastyukhin is a tough veteran with knockout power and an aggressive, devil-may-care style. If Northcutt wants to showcase his full arsenal of MMA tricks, this is the perfect opponent to bring that out.
A win over an ultra-tough and dangerous veteran could definitely benefit Northcutt's career resurgence.
#3. ONE Championship lightweight fight against former champion Shinya Aoki
Now, this may not make much sense as former ONE lightweight champion Shinya 'Tobikan Judan' Aoki is on a four-fight winning streak. Star power and marketability-wise, however, this one's gold.
The two were already set to face each other last year, but Northcutt had to pull out due to residual effects of catching COVID-19. Aoki instead had a trilogy fight with Eduard 'The Landslide' Folayang and won via submission.
Aoki is one of the most decorated grapplers in MMA and has seen it all, having fought for almost two decades now.
His mastery of the ground game could pose a serious challenge for Northcutt, as the American has had trouble with grapplers before. UFC fighters, namely Mickey Gall and Bryan Barbarena, took Northcutt into deep waters and submitted him on the ground.
If Northcutt were to survive and repell Aoki's ground attacks, however, he'd have a good chance of winning. The former ONE lightweight champion is notorious for heavily relying on his jiu-jitsu at the expense of other areas of MMA. Northcutt could take advantage of that.
Aoki is certainly the most high-profile and, as of late, most successful opponent on this list. If 'Super' could beat Aoki in the biggest event in ONE Championship history, it would definitely propel him back to legitimacy.
#2. ONE Championship featherweight fight against former champion Martin Nguyen
After breaking his face in his ONE Championship debut, the always positive Northcutt has learned a lesson or two. One of the most important takeaways was that he needed to go back down to 155 pounds.
In an interview, the former UFC star explained how he'll approach his comeback:
"I'm not really thinking about any opponents right now. Just thinking that how I'm gonna go down two weight classes. My previous organization I was in, I was 5-0 at 155 pounds... So, I'm gonna go back down. I've learnt my lesson about fighting a weight class too big."
Catch the full interview below:
With that said, if Northcutt is indeed dropping to 155 pounds, which is featherweight in ONE, his best opponent there is Martin Nguyen.
The former champion is on a two-fight skid and was last seen inside the cage in a losing bid against Korean slugger Kim Jae Woon.
Still, Nguyen has the star power and skill to give a fight that has the potential to be a classic. The 'Situ Asian' has hands filled with murder backed and can shut anybody's lights off at any moment. Add that to his extensive experience in the upper echelon of the sport and you have a great challenge for Northcutt.
#1. ONE Championship lightweight fight against Eddie Alvarez
This fight makes the most sense whichever angle you look at. From a marketing standpoint, it's an easy sell. Northcutt and Eddie 'The Underground King' Alvarez are the two most recognizable American fighters in ONE.
It also weaves a compelling 'old guard vs. new blood' tale that everyone can relate to. With Alvarez being a former UFC champion and veteran of the sport, Northcutt is an up-and-coming prodigy. This could be Northcutt's "passing of the torch" moment.
From a competitive angle, this fight makes total sense as well. Both fighters are coming off losses from high-profile opponents. Having them clash will not step over anyone's number next to their name or mess up the division's ranks altogether.
In fact, Alvarez has also been mentioned by ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong to fight at ONE: X. Here's to hoping he's the one slated to fight 'Super' in ONE Championship's biggest event ever.
