7 Fights in the UFC...and Northcutt Hasn't Fought a Top 50 Fighter

[Pitier of Fools]

I get protecting a fighter and bringing them up slowly, but Sage Northcutt has had 7 fights in the UFC now, and hasn't gotten any kind of step up in competition whatsoever. Gouti had lost 3 out of his last 4 going into the fight last night, and now he's lost 4 out of his last 5 (great opponent for a main card fight).

If the UFC just wanted to keep him around to fill out undercards that would be one thing. However, he gets paid really well. I don't think his pay for the Gouti fight has been disclosed yet, but his pay for the fight before that against Quinones (who is that???) according to Tapology was $120,000.

Does Northcutt actually generate enough viewers and attention that the UFC finds it a worthwhile investment to pay him that much to fight someone on the verge of getting cut?

 

[Moral Victory]

He's a draw in himself, so the UFC is doing the best they can with him atm.

 

[Mohawk Mauler]

Cmon its Uncle Danas boy toy let him bang bro!

 

[USA!USA!]

UFC wouldn't be paying him that much if he wasn't worth it. They are running a business. Also, who cares? It's not your money.

 

[JayJayFrench]

Yeah, I don't get the whole Sage rage either. I guess Unkkkle Dana wants a good looking and jacked up white guy so they can bring in the lady viewers.

 

[dc007]

I'll admit, I am intrigued to watch him fight. He seems like he could be really great based on his athleticism but his skills just aren't there yet. His marketability has pushed him into the big show too early.

 

[Megalodon]

He gets paid at least 120k to barely scrape guys on the verge of getting cut, that's more than most top 10 fighters get.

I've nothing personal against him but he's a terrible fighter and he represents everything wrong with the UFC in 2018.

 

[BRaVo cHoKe]

Regardless if people show up to see him win or they show up to see him lose....they show up.

The UFC needs fighters who can draw a crowd and Sage does it easy.

 

[VVarhead]

Also he lost yesterday.

 

[sonhow]

He hasn't been beating these guys very impressively either...and lost to some.

But I doubt they would ever cut him unless he starts losing every fight. Dana likes the kid for some reason. I doubt he'd ever become a serious draw by just point fighting and having a blonde hair and a tan.

 

[cevo]

I'm not even sure there are 50 legitimate fighters in each divsion, unless you count the UFC janitor.

 

[ralphus1]

Mickey Gall?

 

[RayA]

If he had won convincly, I would have said a good fight and real test would have been Drew Dober, a guy who's also built like a brick shit house and primarily a striker. Sage would probably get rekt though

 

[21 Savage]

Why do you guys give any value whatsoever to the rankings? When the rankings are controlled by the promoter they are literally worthless.

 

[nanika]

he is still the fourth youngest person on the roster they said last night. he has some time to grow his skillset to match his conditioning but he needs to improve vastly over the next few fights to have a bright future in the UFC.

step one would be removing his father from his professional life. let Faber take over. even if Sage's father was a great coach, which he is not, the overbearing emotional aspect of his father's coaching is extremely detrimental to Sage's development.

 

[Londonjitsu]

Bryan barberena?

 

[Roljo]

That makes sense, since he himself isn't a top 50 fighter

 

[Sano]

He's only on a 2 fight winning streak. It's not like he's looked unbeatable or something. He's 5-2 in the UFC and only 21 years old still.

They are obviously protecting him, but I mean they have to protect their investment. He doesn't have the skillset to fight guys higher up the ranks.

 

[Ol'Ironhead]

Yeah, I don't get the whole Sage rage either. I guess Unkkkle Dana wants a good looking and jacked up white guy so they can bring in the lady viewers.

Lol there are no lady viewers that care about sage. Most adult women are not going to be into him even slightly. Sage will always be just getting by beating the lowest level fighters in his division

 

[JayJayFrench]

Lol there are no lady viewers that care about sage.

I know that, but Dana thought it might work. There's absolutely no other reason I can think of though.