Sage Northcutt Continues To Live Up To His ‘Super’ Name — Defeats Cody Pfister At ‘UFC Fight Night: Namajunas Vs. VanZant’

On Thursday, December 10, many MMA fans tuned in to watch UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. VanZant (also known as UFC Fight Night 80) simply because of the hype train blazing through. For “Super” Sage Northcutt, he kept the hype train well-fueled and blazing at full speed with his performance at UFC Fight Night 80. In just two rounds, Northcutt took out his latest opponent, Cody Pfister, in comeback fashion.

For those who are unsure why such a description was given for the fight venue, it is because both Paige VanZant and Sage Northcutt were competing. Dana White and company have been hyping both VanZant and Northcutt as the “next big things” in MMA.

Sage Northcutt went into his fight against Cody Pfister with a win recently under his belt. At UFC 192: Cormier vs. Gustafsson, Northcutt made his debut in the promotion against Francisco Trevino. Northcutt dominated that match, earning a TKO victory with elbows and punches just 57 seconds into the first round. Even though Northcutt won against Pfister, it would not be a repeat of his debut fight. According to ESPN, Pfister actually took down Northcutt in the first round. While in top position, Pfister was able to land several short punches. If it weren’t for the referee ordering a stand-up, Pfister would have finished the round well in the lead.

Apparently, Sage Northcutt learned from his mistakes in the first round and adjusted his tactics for Cody Pfister in the second. Such was the right strategy, as it earned Northcutt the victory via submission.

“I heard he was a wrestler and was expecting it. I got backed up to the cage, but when he shot the next takedown I got the guillotine tight and finished.”

The conclusion of the fight bumps Sage Northcutt’s career record to 7-0-0 with two of those wins being in the UFC. As for Cody Pfister, his record becomes 12-5-0 which is average for most MMA fighters. In the UFC, however, Pfister’s record may put him on the chopping block of being cut since he is now 1-2-0.

There was a moment in the first round of Sage Northcutt and Cody Pfister’s fight that received some criticism. According to FOX Sports, many in the MMA community, including Dana White, thought the referee ordering the stand-up late in the first round was questionable. Northcutt did take a moment to smooth out the controversial call with a statement on his behalf.

“I think the referee’s smart with how he does it. I had [Pfister’s] hands trapped at the time so he was having a hard time trying to do anything. It wasn’t my decision to stand us up. I think the referee made a good call in my eyes. I think the referee knows what he’s doing.”

It is possible that Sage Northcutt is only agreeing with the referee’s actions since it took him out of danger, but “Super” seems so clean-cut that such thinking is generally not expected of him. Northcutt comes off as a positive person with a good heart, behaved, well-mannered, and a joy to work with in or outside of the cage. Northcutt is an example, and the first MMA fighter to earn a sponsorship with Disney. That’s how straight-laced he is.

As for Sage Northcutt’s next fight, he reportedly wants it to happen soon with another quick turnaround. He said he’d be ready for whoever wants to fight him within about two months. Apparently, Northcutt wants to squeeze in one more fight before his birthday coming up on March 1.

[Image via Sage Northcutt/Facebook]