Sage Northcutt Vs. Cosmo Alexandre – 4 Keys To Victory

“Super” Sage Northcutt’s ONE Championship debut has finally arrived, but he faces the most experienced opponent of his career to date.

Cosmo “Good Boy” Alexandre is hungry to spoil the party at ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON in Singapore on Friday, 17 May, and he has the tools to pose a major threat to the American superstar.

Northcutt’s World Title-winning karate skills will be put to the test against Alexandre’s elite Muay Thai in a battle of stand-up specialists.

Here are four key weapons to watch in the intriguing battle inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

#1 Northcutt – Establish His Range

Northcutt started practicing karate at the age of 4 and has honed his skills for almost two decades in competitions around the world.

As a result, he as the ability to dart in and out to land strikes, and that could be extremely useful against the Brazilian. His darting straight right and fast jab could be crucial, because exchanges at close range with the powerful four-time Muay Thai World Champion are extremely dangerous.

The American also has a fast and accurate side kick that can stop an advancing opponent in their tracks. If he can force Alexandre to get frustrated and rush in recklessly, he will create openings for his more powerful offense to land.

#2 Alexandre – Muay Thai Clinch

Alexandre has spent a lifetime competing in stand-up only martial arts, but when he has gone up against athletes who can grapple, his clinch game has helped him to adapt to a diverse rule set.

“Good Boy” creates strong frames that stop his opponents from tying up his upper body. If they press him to the fence, he is adept at turning them to re-take the center.

Up close and with control over his foe, Alexandre can keep rivals away from his hips, and then unleash his feared knees and elbows. His left knee to the body, in particular, has crumpled many opponents to the canvas over the years, including in his ONE debut against Elliot “The Dragon” Compton.

#3 Northcutt – Explosive Double-Leg Takedown

It is pivotal for Northcutt that he avoids clinch engagements wherever possible. Fortunately, his wrestling style is more focused on low shots behind punches.

Thanks to his explosive athleticism, the former state wrestling champion can change levels and attack for double-leg takedowns in the blink of an eye.

If “Super” Sage can take his rival to the mat and keep him there, he can hit hard and fast with ground and pound in search of a finish. Also, after a year of training full-time with Team Alpha Male, we may get to see some of the new submission weapons he has worked on.

#4 Alexandre – Kick Low

“Good Boy” is frightening when he closes the distance, but as a master of “the art of eight limbs,” he has all manner of weapons to cause damage on the outside as well.

One of the discipline’s most effective weapons against an opponent from a traditional karate background – where strikes below the waist are prohibited – could be the low kick. 

Alexandre has finished world-class opposition with his thudding blows to the thigh, but even if he does not stop his rival by smashing his shin into the lead leg, he can accumulate enough damage to slow him down.

If the Team Alpha Male athlete loses any of the spring in his step, his offense may be seriously compromised.