Sage Northcutt calls out Japanese legend Shinya Aoki following recent win at ONE Fight Night 10

Sage Northcutt has called out Shinya Aoki for a fight following his recent comeback victory in ONE Championship.

Last week, Sage Northcutt returned to the cage for the first time in four years. Back in 2019, he was knocked out by Cosmo Alexandre in a contest that shattered his face – quite literally. However, just 39 seconds into his comeback, he was able to submit Ahmed Mujtaba with a nasty heel hook.

The 27-year-old is seemingly ready to continue his push for greatness in ONE Championship, and he has his sights set on the legendary Shinya Aoki.

Aoki, who turns 40 today, has lost his last two bouts via TKO. Alas, following their canceled showdown from back in April 2021, Northcutt is hungry to prove that he can defeat the veteran.

“I did have one set up with Shinya Aoki, and I think that would be a super exciting one,” Northcutt said. “Looking through my finishes now, you can see my grappling has improved a lot, and I got to show some grappling. He’s a great grappler. I think that would be a really exciting match.”

“It was definitely pretty fast,” Northcutt said. “I’ve been working my grappling a lot. So, for the last few years, I’ve been really honing in on it and working on it a ton. I’m really excited that I got to win out there and get a submission, and got to show some of that grappling.”

Northcutt’s big comeback

“I think one of the big things was the mindset,” Northcutt said of his win. “Of course, I’ve been training to stay sharp but when I go out there, I’m looking for a finish. I’ve just been training with a great team, great coaches. Really been working all around to be very well rounded and fix the holes in my game. Just been really staying in the gym, staying sharp.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie

What does the future hold for Sage Northcutt? Let us know in the comments, BJPENN Nation!