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American mixed martial arts prodigy ‘Super’ Sage Northcutt is super excited to head to ‘the land of the rising sun’ for his next fight, even if the man he’s up against is an absolute legend in his home country.
Northcutt is scheduled to face multi-time former ONE lightweight MMA world champion and Japanese legend ‘Tobikan Judan’ Shinya Aoki at ONE 165: Superlek vs. Takeru next weekend.
The event broadcasts live from the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan on Sunday, January 28th.
Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Northcutt says he has all the respect for Aoki and what the Japanese fighter has accomplished in his career.
‘Super Sage’ stated:
“Look at his record, what he’s accomplished. He’s had an amazing career and I don’t think he has anything else to prove. It’s an honor to get to fight him.”
Aoki won the inaugural ONE lightweight MMA world title in April of 2013, beating Kotetsu Boku via second-round submission. He was virtually unbeatable during his reign until he ran into Filipino icon Eduard Folayang in 2016.
Aoki eventually regained his belt from Folayang in 2019 and embarked on his second reign as lightweight king before succumbing to current champion Christian Lee that same year.
Northcutt knows who he’s up against and is getting ready for the biggest test of his career.
‘Super’ Sage Northcutt laments ‘opportunity’ to face highly regarded former champ
A victory for Sage Northcutt over the legendary Shinya Aoki would put him directly in the world title conversation.
Northcutt told ESPN in an interview:
“Obviously, he’s a legend of the sport. He's had almost 60 pro fights and I think the thing that excites me a lot and the most is that he was a champion for ONE Championship and one of the longest champs for the league. So he’s a top-ranked opponent, so getting to fight him is huge and it's a big opportunity for me.”
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action of ONE 165: Superlek vs. Takeru live via pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com. Check ONE Championship’s official website for more information on how to watch from your location.
