Sage Northcutt’s debut in ONE Championship did not go according to plan.
Northcutt was destroyed by Cosmo Alexandre in the first round of their welterweight meeting. As a result, Northcutt suffered eight fractures from the knockout. Northcutt has received a lot of criticism for his mixed martial arts (MMA) ability since the loss. However, one man who hasn’t lost faith in the former UFC star is ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
Speaking to MMA Junkie recently, Sityodtong maintained that he still believes Northcutt has the potential to be a three-sport World Champion:
“My plan is the same,” Sityodtong said. “I really believe that Sage has the talent, has the potential, to be a three-sport world champion.
“Sage’s dream is to be an MMA, kickboxing and a Muay Thai world champion, all within ONE Championship, and because we showcase all the martial arts, not just MMA, I still believe he can do it.””
Despite the rough start in the Singapore-based promotion, Sityodtong claims the 23-year-old still has all the tools to be extremely successful in ONE:
“He might have had a rough start, but anybody on any given day can lose, because there’s no margin for error at the highest levels of martial arts,” Sityodtong said. “I still believe Sage can pull it off. He’s so young and he’s so talented.
“He’s been doing martial arts his whole life. His cardio is insane, his strength is insane, his technique is unbelievable. I think people are going to be surprised three years from now when they see all that Sage has accomplished.”
