Sage Northcutt to drop two weight classes for return fight

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Following the first knockout loss of his career, Sage Northcutt is returning back to a weight class that he had the most success at.

Sage Northcutt’s ONE Championship debut went about as badly as a debut can get. Fighting at 185 pounds for the first time in his career, Northcutt entered his May 2019 bout with Cosmo Alexandre looking to establish himself in a new promotion. Instead, he had his orbital bone broken in eight places and ending up getting finished in 29 seconds.

It’s been a long road back for the former UFC fighter, but in an interview with MMA Junkie, “Super Sage” says that he’ll be going back to fighting at the weight has had the most success at - 155 pounds.

“I’m still healing up, and I can’t wait to be able to get out there and fight again,” he enthused. “I know it’s going to be a while, but I’m going to be strong and I’m going to go back to where I used to fight at 155. I was undefeated in the UFC in that weight class – I was 5-0 – and I think I’m just naturally more for that weight class. So instead of fighting at welterweight, what ONE Championship calls it at 185 pounds that I went up to, I’m going (down) two weight classes to featherweight (155). It’s going to be good.”

Technically Northcutt went 4-0 in the UFC at 155, and also picked up wins over Zak Ottow at welterweight and Francisco Trevino at a 160-pound catchweight. He suffered both of his losses in the promotion at 170 pounds though, and it certainly does seem like lightweight (or featherweight in ONE) is the right place for him.

When he does actually return is still up in the air due to his continuing recovery from injury and the current pandemic shutting things down. But at just 24 years old, there is still plenty of time for Northcutt to pick up where he left off in his preferred weight class.