One Championship unceremoniously releases Sage Northcutt after tumultuous relationship

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Sage Northcutt’s time on the One Championship roster has come to an end.

Back in 2019, Northcutt made major waves by opting not to stay with the UFC. Instead, the Welterweight — who had built up a 6-2 record in the promotion, getting rather popular in the process — opted to test free agency and sign with One Championship. It seemed like a natural fight given Northcutt’s traditional martial arts background and flashy style, but it’s proven to be a bit of a disaster.

That year, Northcutt lost via knockout to top-level kickboxer Cosmo Alexandre, shattering several bones in his face. Much of the last five years have seen Northcutt sidelined in recovery, but he did return to action in May 2023 to return to the win column via first-round heel hook.

Alas, that 1-1 record will be his final tally competing for One. On Friday, the promotion issued a statement that confirmed his release from the roster. It read, “ONE Championship and Sage Northcutt have mutually agreed to his release from the organization. ONE wishes Northcutt the best in his future endeavors.”

In classic “Super” Sage fashion, the karateka responded positively, writing “Excited for 2025 and looking forward to having some big fights!” in his own social media post.

The release is indeed likely for the best and not totally unexpected. Earlier this year, Northcutt was scheduled to compete a third time opposite Shinya Aoki, but the fight fell apart at the last minute when Northcutt’s coach Urijah Faber wasn’t allowed into Japan … according to One at least. Northcutt’s version of the story is a bit different and insinuates intentional corruption on behalf of One, as well as deeper issues with their weight cutting and drug testing systems.

All that drama went down back in January, and there’s been no public resolution or update between the parties until now. At 28 years of age, there’s likely still plenty of opportunity for Northcutt. His style would fit perfectly for Karate Combat, but he could also draw attention to PFL and UFC may be interested in a second stint.

Stay tuned.

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