“We’ll see where the fight goes” – Sage Northcutt won’t press for submissions vs Shinya Aoki at ONE 165

‘Super’ Sage Northcutt made a big statement after a long hiatus during his return at ONE Fight Night 10 .

Before his hiatus, ‘Super’ Sage was known predominantly as a striker, largely thanks to his background in karate.

Against Ahmed Mujtaba in his long overdue return to competition, it was his submission skills that got the job done inside the first minute.

However, resorting to grappling at ONE 165 is likely a game plan that Northcutt will be advised to steer away from.

His upcoming opponent, Shinya Aoki, is a crafty veteran and legendary grappler whose track record speaks for itself at this stage.

Northcutt told The MMA Superfan that he won’t push for the submission if it isn’t there, though he did considered challenging his foe in that department. He said:

“Shinya has never been submitted in mixed martial arts and it would definitely be something if I would be able to get a submission on. That'd be something pretty crazy. But we'll see, we'll see where the fight goes.”

Watch the full interview below:

Sage Northcutt cannot afford to get carried away at ONE 165

Chasing the finish instead of taking the fight as it comes is a trap that Sage Northcutt could very well get caught up in at ONE 165.

Shinya Aoki will be hoping Northcutt comes into the fight with such a mindset, so that he can capitalize on any opportunities his opponent affords him.

This fight will be a challenge of patience, focus and composure for Sage Northcutt when he steps inside the Ariake Arena this weekend to face a Japanese legend in front of his home crowd.

Beating Aoki will test him physically and mentally but that’s exactly the kind of hurdle that ‘Super’ Sage must clear at this stage in his career.

ONE 165 airs live on Sunday, January 28, via global pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.