Sage Northcutt credits watching tape for keeping him sharp during lay-off: "You’re always learning”

‘Super’ Sage Northcutt is a firm believer that watching tape is an important part of self-improvement in mixed martial arts.

That theory seems to have worked in Northcutt’s favor as he made his highly anticipated return to the circle earlier this month at ONE Fight Night 10 on Prime Video. Four years removed from his disastrous ONE Championship debut, the Texas native stunned fans with a brilliant first-round submission victory over Pakistani mixed martial arts world champion Ahmed Mujtaba.

Appearing on Fistivities with KB & Renato Laranja, Sage Northcutt revealed that one way he stayed sharp during his lengthy layoff was to continue studying tape allowing him to learn and evolve as a fighter:

“I believe in watching tape. You can kinda get to see the good things and pick up things that you didn’t think you can pick off, and you just feel like you’re always learning.”

Watch the full interview below:

With his first victory inside the circle now in the books, Sage Northcutt will turn his attention toward a long-awaited bout with Japanese legend Shinya Aoki. The two were initially scheduled to square off at ONE on TNT 4 in 2021, but an especially difficult bout with COVID-19 kept Northcutt from making the date.

Two years later, fans could finally see the match come to fruition as Northcutt will be looking to add a big name to his hit list while Shinya Aoki hopes to recover after coming up short in three straight contests last year.

If you missed any of the action, or just want to relive one of the most epic nights in ONE Championship history, the ONE Fight Night 10 replay can be watched live via Amazon Prime Video in North America.