“Super” Sage Northcutt has submission skills.
In his first fight in nearly four years, flashy striker Northcutt pulled a new trick out of his hat, submitting Ahmed Mujtaba with a heel hook just 39 seconds into their meeting at ONE Championship Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes.
Northcutt had barely gotten started on his feet when Mujtaba pushed through a jab and got him to the canvas, where he began the process of advancing position. Before he got a chance, Northcutt attacked the legs, rolled for the submission and got the tap.
Check out the video below.
It was a shocking turn for the 27-year-old fighter, whose last appearance in the ONE ring ended in a brutal series of injuries to his face – courtesy of a punch from the much heavier Cosmo Alexandre – that kept him out of the sport for years. Pandemic delays kept him from returning until ONE decided to make its first foray onto American soil.
It was quite the homecoming for the one-time UFC poster boy, who got back to the win column and improved his MMA record to 12-3 as a professional. For his trouble, he was awarded in the cage with a post-fight bonus of $50,000.