The highly anticipated return of Sage Northcutt is just around the corner, as ONE Championship gears up for its inaugural event on U.S. soil with ONE Fight Night 10 in Denver on May 5. The stacked lineup features a mix of veteran names familiar to the promotion and newer faces from outside, and Northcutt is one of the most exciting prospects to watch.

After his signing with ONE in late 2018 following eight fights in the UFC, the lightweight and welterweight fighter was matched up against kickboxing veteran Cosmo Alexandre. Unfortunately, Northcutt lost in just 29 seconds with a devastating knockout punch. However, at ONE Fight Night 10, he is set to make his comeback at 170 pounds in his first bout post-defeat against Ahmed Mujtaba (10-2).

CEO and Founder Chatri Sityodtong expressed optimism that the 27-year-old still has plenty of potential to become a world champion in multiple disciplines, despite his tough debut last year. Northcutt has delivered consistently entertaining performances in his career, often relying on his finishing ability, as he has only gone to the judges’ scorecards three times in his last four UFC victories.

One of the highlights of his past fights was his final UFC loss, which featured a right hook that delivered a powerful punch and resulted in Northcutt fracturing his face in eight places, requiring a nine-hour surgery. Although Northcutt intended to return earlier, COVID-19 led to the postponement of his bout with Shinya Aoki, making his upcoming fight in Denver his second ONE appearance.

Sityodtong acknowledges that many fans might have questions regarding Northcutt’s mental state after his devastating loss, but he is confident that Northcutt will come back stronger, although he does face a tough opponent in Mujtaba. The latter boasts aggressive KO power and is an excellent fighter on the ground, which will undoubtedly make for an exciting match.