No longer operating off raw talent, UFC-Austin's Sage Northcutt wants to be best at everything

AUSTIN, Texas – Is the sky the limit for Sage Northcutt now that he’s completely dedicated to MMA? He seems to think so ahead of UFC Fight Night 126.

Northcutt (9-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), who meets Thibault Gouti (12-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC) in a lightweight fight on Sunday’s FS1-televised main card at Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass, has completely immersed himself in the sport in recent months, specifically since he joined Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, Calif.

Prior to committing full-time to Team Alpha Male, Northcutt was a bit of a wandering soul. He trained at numerous gyms while also trying to juggle an intense school curriculum while studying petroleum engineering at Texas A&M. Northcutt ditched school in favor of a full-time MMA career, and he said the results are showing.

“It’s been way more comfortable since I withdrew from school,” Northcutt told MMAjunkie. “Now I’m not studying to be a petroleum engineer. I’m able to focus full-time on the fight. Now the confidence is going up, and I’m feeling way more better because I know I’m improving every single day instead of taking the talent I had from when I was a little kid and going off that. Now I’m able to build that talent and get better.”

Following a stretch of two losses in three fights, Northcutt joined Team Alpha Male. His short amount of time at the camp paid dividends in his recent performance, and Northcutt showed off his best work to date in a unanimous-decision win over Michel Quinones at UFC Fight Night 120 in November.

More than three months later, Northcutt said he’s continued to make strides in his game. With the mentorship of Team Alpha Male founder Urijah Faber, “Super” has only positive reviews of his new camp.

“Team Alpha Male’s been amazing,” Northcutt said. “I have my coach, Urijah Faber. He’s watching me do everything pretty much all the time. I’m training or grappling or sparring live. He’s over there making adjustments. He’s really hands on, so that makes a big difference.”

Northcutt said the biggest advancement in his game has been a cleaner offensive flow. He wants to be seamless as he moves from striking to wrestling to jiu-jitsu, and he said the coaches and training partners have brought that out of him.

At just 21, though, Northcutt knows everything won’t come together instantly. Fighting is a never-ending journey of evolution, and Northcutt’s goals fit within that reality.

“I want to be super well-rounded,” Northcutt said. “I want to be eventually be the best wrestler out there, be the best grappler out there, along with being the best striker – be all of them at one time.”

Given the relative infancy of his career, Northcutt said fight preparation is more about himself than his opponents. He has watched footage and done specific training for Gouti, who has lost three of four in the UFC, but said his knowledge of his upcoming opponent is largely limited.

“I know he fought for ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ show and he trains in Albuquerque, New Mexico,” Northcutt said. “He’s from France. I know those things. I’ve been studying his tape and so have my coaches, and I’m looking forward to the fight.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 126, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.