‘I Don’t Let It Get To Me’ – How Sage Northcutt Ignores The Critics And Stays Relentlessly Positive
After four long years on the sidelines following a devastating knockout loss in his ONE debut, American MMA phenom “Super” Sage Northcutt will finally return to action at ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes III on Prime Video.
That return will come on May 5 at 1stBank Center in Colorado, where the 27-year-old will go to war with surging Pakistani star Ahmed Mujtaba in a lightweight MMA showdown that’s sure to produce fireworks.
Now in the final weeks of training for his pivotal lightweight bout at ONE’s sold-out debut on United States soil, Northcutt is all smiles – excited to put on a show for the home fans.
That positive attitude is the norm for him. Despite his painful defeat back in 2019, “Super” Sage hasn’t let self-doubt or negative thoughts creep in during his time away.
He told ONEFC.com:
“Man, everybody has down days, that’s for sure. But having a positive outlook, I think that’s a big thing.”
Northcutt’s infectious positivity begins with not taking himself too seriously.
Like any other young superstar athlete, the Texas native has received his fair share of insults and barbs on social media.
But rather than give those critics any power, he takes a step back and finds humor wherever he can:
“You know, if I look at any negative comment, a lot of them are actually kind of funny. So a lot of them are actually, I’m looking at them like, ‘Oh, you know what? That was pretty funny,’ and I laughed at it. I don’t let it get to me. It doesn’t really bother me. I kind of tune it out.”
Additionally, Northcutt is careful to maintain a healthy perspective.
Instead of dwelling on the disappointment of his first ONE appearance, he’s instead cultivated gratitude for that experience, recognizing that it brought him to where he is today – fighting against another world-class martial artist on a monumental card.
He explained:
“Knowing that God’s got plans for my future, he’s got plans for your future, that kind of keeps me positive and keeps me going, even if something looks like a setback. Two years later, maybe it’s a few months, maybe it’s days, you never know.
You can look back you’re like, ‘Wow, that led me to this point, or I improved here.’ Now I’m at this point where I would never have been before. So that kind of stuff keeps me positive.”
Sage Northcutt Motivated To Impress Fans At ONE Fight Night 10
Armed with his incredibly positive outlook, Sage Northcutt is looking forward to a memorable experience at ONE Fight Night 10.
From the buildup during event week to the feel of the canvas under his feet to ideally tasting victory on a global stage, the multiple-time Karate World Champion can’t wait to compete again.
But more than anything else, it’s the roar of the crowd that has Northcutt most fired up for this lightweight MMA battle with Ahmed Mujtaba.
With the American audience in mind, Northcutt says he’s gunning for a highlight-reel stoppage on May 5:
“The fans definitely pump me up just a ton. Even people that aren’t fans, I’m trying to win over people that aren’t. Having this fight, I know my first fight with ONE Championship didn’t go as planned. So obviously, I want to get back out there and perform great. I’d like to be able to get a finish and do an amazing job.”
