“Super” Sage Northcutt shocked everyone in his return to action in May with a first-round submission over Ahmed Mujtaba. Coming off that victory, the Texas native is eager to get back inside the ONE Championship Circle. Although there are many lightweight contenders that could be a possibility, Northcutt only wants Shinya Aoki.
Sage Northcutt Wants Shinya Aoki After Dramatic Rebound Victory at ONE Fight Night 10
The two have been linked for some time. Northcutt has called him out on social media, and Aoki has been less than kind in his replies. Those comments only had more spice to a potential collision between the two athletes.
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“Yeah, absolutely [I still want that fight]. We had it in the works before I had my last fight with Ahmed. We had it set and he said he still wants it. I think we should do it. I’ve been really focused on Shinya since after my last fight. Post-fight when we talked with all the media, it got brought up by someone out there saying, ‘How about you and Shinya?’ And it got brought up that it might possibly be the next thing. So since then, I’ve just been thinking about that,” Northcutt told ONE.
Northcutt is still adamant that he wants to work up the ladder in the lightweight division. After a multi-year absence due to injury, Northcutt is focused on putting all the puzzle pieces together before calling for a shot at the gold. However, a meeting against the former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion would go a long way to pushing him to the top of the division.
“I think that fight [with Aoki] is one a lot of fans want to see. A top grappler and former World Champion versus a striker – and I’ve worked on my grappling a ton – so it’s going to be super exciting. I had quite a few years off, and I came back in my last fight, won by submission in the first round, and now I’m going to be possibly fighting Shinya. He’s one of the top guys in the division. He was one of the longest-reigning World Champions for ONE Championship. That’s a big one. I’m obviously going out there to try to win and finish my opponent. So I guess we’ll see after the fight,” Northcutt stated.
Other contenders, such as Maurice Abevi, have called out Northcutt, but the American is not biting. Although there is no confirmed bout, Northcutt is laser-focused on Aoki at this time. Given his incredible ground game and what the meeting may hold, Northcutt does not want to leave any stone unturned.
“It’s cool. People call other people out, but I got my focus on one fight at a time. So right now, I’m focused on fighting Shinya. He’s the former champion. He’s nobody to look over. That’s a big fight. I’m excited for that one. Hopefully, we get that here soon. Having your focus on what’s in front of you is the most important thing,” Northcutt said.
