American MMA sensation “Super” Sage Northcutt is now just days away from the biggest opportunity of his professional career. This Sunday, January 28, at ONE 165: Superlek vs. Takeru, the 27-year-old will take on veteran submission specialist Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki in a pivotal lightweight MMA tilt on the Japanese icon’s home soil – the Ariake Arena in Tokyo.

Northcutt comes into the contest loaded with confidence. After four years on the sidelines, he returned to action last May with a spectacular first-round submission win over the always-dangerous Ahmed Mujtaba. That stunning victory sent waves through ONE’s talent-rich lightweight MMA division.

Sage Northcutt excited for ONE 165 in Japan

‘Super’ Sage is now primed to kick off 2024 where he left off and continue his climb toward divisional gold with another emphatic win. He said: “I’ve always dreamed of fighting in Japan, so getting to fight on ONE 165 on January 28 is going to be very exciting.

The 27-year-old further added, “I’m looking forward to starting off the year with a great performance. I like to finish my fights if I’m able to, to make it as exciting for all the fans as possible. The fans are definitely going to be in for a treat, that’s for sure. This is huge.”

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Of course, Northcutt has been given no easy task. Competing in the͏ enchanting realm of Japan has͏ always be͏en a dream come true for North͏cutt. ͏What makes th͏is exper͏ience even more special is the opportunity to face off against͏ one of th͏e nation’s all-time great competito͏rs.

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Northcutt has nothing but respect for Shinya Aoki

A former lightweight MMA titleholder with a mountain of high-level experience and some of the planet’s most feared submissions, Aoki represents a serious step up in competition for the young Team Alpha Male product. Given that background, he views “Tobikan Judan” as the most important opponent he’s faced yet:

“For me, it’s going to be great because he’s the former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion. A lot of people know him as a legend in the sport. He’s had almost 60 pro [MMA] fights, he’s one of the longest-reigning champions in ONE Championship. This is definitely the biggest fight of my career.”

And although Aoki has had some harsh words for Northcutt – and even refused to shake his hand at a pre-fight press conference – the American has nothing but respect for his ulta-accomplished foe. He added: “Look at his record, what he’s accomplished. He’s had an amazing career and I don’t think he has anything else to prove. It’s an honor to get to fight him.”

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