Mickey Gall scored a huge, potentially career-making win over former WWE-wrestler-turned-MMA-fighter CM Punk, but he wasn't just content in pocketing the win. The 24-year-old made the most of his camera time at UFC 203 and picked his next shot, aiming it squarely at fellow young prospect Sage Northcutt.
"Its been crazy, there has been a lot of hate out there, not just in MMA but in the world," said Gall following his fight (via MMAFighting.com's Dave Doyle). "F--k the hate, man, we're all going to be dead in 100 years...Next, I want Super Sage Northcutt."
The call-out is a brilliant move by Gall. Despite beginning his UFC career with two impressive submission wins, he is a unique commodity in the promotion, with just three professional fights to his name and no other combat sports credentials beyond that.
In a stacked welterweight division, there are few logical on-paper matchups for him, and there is a decent chance fights with more experienced fighters would be refused by athletic commissions.
Northcutt, however, fits the bill nicely. Having gone 8-1 in his professional career, he has impressed fans with his high-flying striking and drawn jeers with his questionable grappling. Competitively, it's an interesting contrast of styles and promotionally, it's a showdown between the only two Lookin' For a Fight products to have any level of success in the UFC to this point.
(Warning, NSFW Language)
Whether it will happen is a separate issue. Northcutt has been bouncing between the lightweight and welterweight divisions, with his most recent fight taking place in July at 155 pounds. If he decides to remain at that weight class, it would put him on a separate path from Gall, a 170-pounder.
What's more, both men are fighters the UFC would like to groom further, and pitting them against one another would inevitably undermine the growth of one.
According to UFC President Dana White, Northcutt's handlers have expressed interest in the fight. That is no guarantee it will take place, however.
Dana White says Sage Northcutt's people reached out to him after Mickey Gall callout and said they want the fight.
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) September 11, 2016
For what it's worth, both men have a clear schedule at this time, with Northcutt likely recovered from his bout at UFC 200 and Gall looking fresh coming out of UFC 203. If the UFC is hurting for Fight Night main events or pay-per-view undercard matchups, they could certainly do worse than this.
