Sage Northcutt is looking to take another step on the road to ONE Championship glory this weekend, but has an imperious challenger standing in front of him. 

The American spent almost four years out of the fight game, but returned with a win last year and looks to continue his return at ONE:165 Superlek vs Takeru on Sunday by taking on former two-time ONE lightweight MMA champion Shinya Aoki. 

The venue will be the Ariake Arena, Tokyo, home ground for Aoki who has amassed 47 wins across a 59-fight MMA career. 

At 27, Northcutt is 13 years younger than his opponent, with just 15 fights under his belt –  a professional resume only a quarter of the depth of Aoki. It is no wonder he is already labeling this as the biggest fight of his career.

“I’ve always dreamed of fighting in Japan, so getting to fight on ONE 165 on January 28 is going to be very exciting,” he said. 

“I’m looking forward to starting off the year with a great performance. I like to finish my fights if I’m able to, to make it as exciting for all the fans as possible. The fans are definitely going to be in for a treat, that’s for sure. This is huge.

“A lot of people know him as a legend in the sport. He’s had almost 60 pro [MMA] fights, he’s one of the longest-reigning champions in ONE Championship. This is definitely the biggest fight of my career.” 

The clash will be a real battle of styles with Northcutt a karate practitioner, while Aoki has shown himself to be a master of BJJ and judo. 

Northcutt will undoubtedly want to keep the fight standing – each of Aoki’s last six losses, including those in his last two fights, have come via KO or TKO.

The Californian has always had attention thrust upon him whenever he has fought, but a win this weekend would cement his place as a serious contender in the lightweight division. 

ONE 165: Superlek vs. Takeru takes place Sunday January 28 1pm GST at the Ariake Arena, Tokyo. This is an event not to be missed so mark your calendars, download the ONE Super App, and go to watch.onefc.com now!

ONE Championship returns to the Middle East on March 1 with ONE 166: Qatar at the Lusail Stadium, Doha. A historic night awaits with no less than five title fights planned, and tickets are now available from Virgin Megastore and Q-Tickets.