Sage Northcutt says ‘ring rust’ will not be an issue in his return to action

While he may have been away from competition for an extended period of time, returning American fighter Sage Northcutt does not see “ring rust” being an issue when he takes the circle once again next month.

The Team Alpha Male affiliate returns after four years on the sidelines due to various medical issues at ONE Fight Night 10 on Prime Video on May 5 in the United States.

‘Super’ Sage Northcutt will be taking on dangerous Pakistani juggernaut Ahmed Mujtaba in a lightweight showdown at ONE’s first-ever live U.S. on-ground event, happening at 1stBank Center in Colorado.

As he makes his way back after a long hiatus, all eyes will be focused on the kind of shape Northcutt will be in. He assured, though, that he would be in fighting form come fight night as he was active in training even when he was away.

Sage Northcutt told ONE Championship in an interview:

“A lot of people will be thinking, ‘Hey Sage might have some ring rust.’ It’s been three and a half years, it’s a little bit of time. But I’ve been staying in training, I’ve been staying sharp, so looking forward to not having that.”

‘Super’ last fought in his ONE debut in May 2019, when he lost by knockout in the opening round at the hands of Brazilian Cosmo Alexandre and suffered multiple facial fractures in the aftermath. He attempted to make a comeback in 2021 but COVID-19 messed up his plans.

He is angling to make it a winning return for himself, working on every facet of his game with his team and other athletes from different disciplines, including All Elite Wrestling’s Malakai Black.

Ahmed Mujtaba, for his part, has won back-to-back and is determined to keep rolling and fortify his standing in ONE Championship.