Sage Northcutt Explains Decision to Return to Welterweight

Sage Northcutt is ready to return to welterweight and is convinced that this is the right move to make for both his career and his health.

Sage Northcutt’s primary home in the UFC has been at 155. That is the weight in which he made his UFC debut, where he earned a TKO over Francisco Trevino in the 1^st round. After getting another stoppage in his follow-up performance over Cody Pfister, Northcutt was 2-0 in the UFC and was a very highly touted lightweight prospect. Northcutt would then mess with the recipe, if you will, and debut at welterweight, which saw him suffer his first loss to Bryan Barberena. He would also lose his next welterweight bout to Mickey Gall, with both losses occurring by submission.

For his last two fights, although Sage Northcutt was able to boost his lightweight record to 5-0. Northcutt says though the product looked effortless, the process was anything but, and it is for that reason he is prepared to give welterweight another go:

“My last few fights at 155, the weight cuts has been really tough, the last few pounds, my body kind of stopped sweating,” Northcutt told James Lynch in an interview released Sunday. I could make the weight, it’s just I really want to go out there and put on a great show and try to finish off my opponents. So I feel like 170 is more of a natural weight for me, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Northcutt has also stated that the weight-cutting process down to 155 would take approximately 30 hours, and that process and being so far removed form his natural weight was draining and affected his performance. At 170, the weight cut is much easier, Northcutt says:

“Before to make weight at 155, I had to walk around 170ish,” Northcutt told Lynch. “And now, going to 170, I’m walking around at 185, 190. So hopefully, it’ll be a good weight cut. I think it’ll be easy.”

Sage Northcutt will be facing Zak Ottow at UFC Fight Night Boise on July 14, 2018 and look to earn his first victory in the welterweight division.

Do you think Sage Northcutt is making the right move by returning to 170?