The journey of Sage Northcutt in ONE Championship has been a rollercoaster ride, marked by significant highs and lows, where progress has been both hindered and rejuvenated.
ONE 165 appeared to be a pivotal moment for Northcutt, offering him the opportunity to overcome some of his past setbacks by defeating Shinya Aoki and heading into the remainder of 2024 with back-to-back victories.
However, fate had other plans as obstacles continued to impede his path. On the day of the fight, ‘Super’ Sage made the difficult announcement that his corner was unable to accompany him to Japan, presenting him with a critical dilemma.
While some might have urged him to proceed with the fight regardless, Northcutt decided to withdraw from the contest, recognizing the absence of his coaches as a significant factor in such an important moment of his career.
Chael Sonnen weighed in on Northcutt’s decision in a recent YouTube video, expressing his agreement with the choice. Sonnen acknowledged that while he typically wouldn’t support such actions, given the circumstances, he understood Northcutt’s perspective:
“I give him a pass. I don’t have a hard time with it. I will tell you, though, I don’t see a lot of it with pros. Pros and adults, amateurs and children, generally go hand in hand. The proper and professional way to handle that is to follow the absolute golden rule: ‘the show must go on’… It’s an interesting one. Had anybody else done it, I think I’d snicker at them. I think I’d laugh… If it was anyone else. I accept it in its entirety with Sage.”
