Sage Northcutt is looking bigger and better heading into UFC 214…
On July 29th at UFC 214, Sage Northcutt will step inside the UFC octagon for a 6th time. It’s a big fight for the 21 year-old, as he’s lost 2 of his last 3 bouts. With a UFC record of 3W-2L, he’s either going to move closer towards ranked opponents, or farther away from them.
Judging by images he posted recently on his social media profiles, Northcutt has taken training for this bout to a new level. The photos he posted were all taken at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas. The facilities are free for UFC fighters, and are designed to help athletes recover from, and avoid, injuries which could shorten or otherwise derail their careers.
Sage Northcutt vs. John Makdessi – UFC 214
Sage’s upcoming bout with John Makdessi provides a unique challenge. Each fighter has a history of training out of the Tristar Gym in Montreal, and each is looking to climb up the lightweight rankings.
Makdessi is a veteran of 13 UFC fights, with a record of 17-6. He is most likely smack in the middle of the 155lbs division. This bout will be a good test to see if Northcutt is better, or worse, than your average lightweight.
Makdessi has dropped 4 of his last 6, but he’s never lost more than 2 in a row. His last bout was a KO loss to “Groovy” Lando Vannata at UFC 206.
“Super” Sage Northcutt Looking Shredded
Shortly after Northcutt’s loss to Mickey Gall in December, he announced he was leaving school to focus on MMA full-time. Previously, Sage had been enrolled at Texas A&M and was majoring in petroleum engineering.
Judging by how he looks in the below photos, Northcutt has been putting more time in the gym:
Sage’s Career Thus Far
Sage Northcutt wasted no time getting his mixed martial career started. In 2014, just weeks after his 18th birthday, Sage had his first pro bout, a 27 second victory over Tim Lashley. He hit his opponent with a wheel kick and finished him on the ground. Sage would then finish 3 more opponents in the 1st round before the year was out.
After defeating Rocky Long, Sage was signed to the UFC with a perfect record of 5-0. It only took him 57 seconds inside the cage at UFC 192 to finish Francisco Trevino and move to 6-0. Sage then defeated Cody Pfister via guillotine in the 2nd round, before suffering his first loss in January of 2016, via submission to Bryan Barberena.
At UFC 200, Sage got back in the win column by earning a decision victory over Enrique Marin. Back in December, he suffered another loss however, this time to Mickey Gall via rear-naked choke.
Northcutt has taken more time off for this fight than any other since he started his career. Now with MMA his full-time profession, we might see a brand new “Super” Sage Northcutt at UFC 214.
