Lightweight Prospect Sage Northcutt Eyeing Quick Turnaround for Next UFC Bout

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Sage Northcutt attracted a lot of attention heading into his Octagon debut, but the 19-year-old Texan was unfazed by the hype, as he made short work of Francisco Trevino at UFC 192 on Saturday night.

The Katy, Texas, native was opportunistic against his more-experienced foe, pouncing when Trevino slipped after an awkard kick attempt before driving him to the canvas with an emphatic double-leg takedown. From there, Northcutt swarmed for the finish, unleashing a barrage of elbows until referee Herb Dean was forced to call a halt to the 155-pound contest just 57 seconds after it began.

“The fight went just how I visualized it,” Northcutt said. “I thought about throwing kicks to kind of intimidate him and see what he was going to do. I caught him and just followed up with some elbows. People see a lot of my standup, and that’s what I’m known for since I was trained in karate and kickboxing, but I also have ground game.”

The four-time Legacy Fighting Championship veteran improved to 6-0 in his burgeoning career, which has come under intense scrutiny since he signed with the UFC. Basking in the afterglow of his first promotional triumph, the perpetually-smiling Northcutt allowed himself a chance to process the moment.

“This feels amazing; it’s such an honor to be here,” he said. “The crowd, everyone around the UFC, were all amazing and this was just an incredible experience. I've been training for this since I was four years old.”

Northcutt isn’t satisfied with just one victory, however. While he is in no rush to move up the divisional ladder, he would like to return to the Octagon this year if the stars align.

“I want to fight again as soon as I possibly can. I know there's a card in Australia and South Korea -- either of those would be great,” he said. “I can't wait for the next one. Whatever Dana White and Joe Silva have planned for me, I'm ready. I’m ready for whatever comes next.”

Both of the cards Northcutt references are less than two months away: UFC 193 takes place in Melbourne on Nov. 14, while the UFC Fight Night Korea event is set for Nov. 28.