Sage wasn't as bad as people remember him....

[Lionheart7167]

Not here to say Sage was a great fighter, or a future contender, or anything like that, but I think time's been a bit cruel to young Sagey-boy.

When you look back at his career, he went 6-2 in the UFC. His only losses were to Gall and Barbarena, two guys who are STILL fighting in the UFC today. World beaters? No. But both respectable fighters in their own right.

He left the UFC on a 3 fight win streak, and his last win there was a KO.

Sure, Sage got his face smashed in by Cosmo Alexandre, but that guy was 8-1 and no joke with the kickboxing.

Overall, Sage went 12-3, and was only 19 when he entered the UFC. He showed promising striking and was athletic as hell. I imagine if he learned to take a punch and developed a ground game, he could still be fighting (although never a champion).

 

[VinceArch]

Who all did he beat again in that 6-2 record?

I think Sage is exactly what we remember him as. A young fighter who wasn't ready to compete in the UFC and ONE wasn't much easier on him.

 

[usernamee]

Gall's record is 7-6 and has never faced anyone remarkable yet keeps losing.

Barbarena's record is 18-12 and is barely a middle of the pack guy...

Losses to those two prove he wasn't very good.

That said, if he had developed outside of the UFC for a few more years he would've done a lot better. Most people hated on him because he looked good, was jacked and got a promotional push.

 

[Bobby Boulders]

He is still fighting, though. He's won one since the Cosmo massacre (and by heel hook, in under a minute), and was scheduled to fight Aoki for ONE, in Japan, but ONE misled him and his team, telling them to fly on out to Tokyo and they'd be allowed in without work VISAs. They landed and his team was denied entry, and Sage got pissed and refused to fight. Lineker ended up fighting Aoki in his place, at openweight, and Aoki won easily.

 

[TriangleMonkey]

Why Sage all the talk all a sudden?

People miss that Sage bod I guess……not that there’s anything wrong with that…..

 

[SirRealKiller]

I think he got rushed up to the UFC faster than he should have. He was not a bad fighter for being that young, but definitely not a UFC level fighter. Then the Cosmo thing and the crushed face that require some serious surgery. I think he could make his way back to the UFC and be a legit fighter but his time may have passed him.

 

[AL-Tappo McSnappo]

Not here to say Sage was a great fighter, or a future contender, or anything like that, but I think time's been a bit cruel to young Sagey-boy.

When you look back at his career, he went 6-2 in the UFC. His only losses were to Gall and Barbarena, two guys who are STILL fighting in the UFC today. World beaters? No. But both respectable fighters in their own right.

He left the UFC on a 3 fight win streak, and his last win there was a KO.

Sure, Sage got his face smashed in by Cosmo Alexandre, but that guy was 8-1 and no joke with the kickboxing.

Overall, Sage went 12-3, and was only 19 when he entered the UFC. He showed promising striking and was athletic as hell. I imagine if he learned to take a punch and developed a ground game, he could still be fighting (although never a champion).

fighting is not for pretty people

 

[joy2day]

Sage was a UFC-level fighter, not sure why anyone is saying otherwise. He looks like a good deal of the guys I see on FN cards and undercards of PPVs. I've seen worse fighters in the main draw of PPVs. The fact that his mediocre to horrible opponents are still fighting would show he is UFC-level.

Now, an elite fighter? Maybe never. He only got a lot of attention because of his huge appeal to the numerous gay fight fans; if it weren't for that, he would have been just another low-medium level UFC fighter that petered out.

 

[RockyLockridge]

Gall's record is 7-6 and has never faced anyone remarkable yet keeps losing.

Barbarena's record is 18-12 and is barely a middle of the pack guy...

Losses to those two prove he wasn't very good.

That said, if he had developed outside of the UFC for a few more years he would've done a lot better. Most people hated on him because he looked good, was jacked and got a promotional push.

well to be fair he was like 19 years old

Much like Bo Nickal, He gets promotional rub that he doesn't deserve so people dont like him.

 

[NoSmilez]

I think his issue was hanging out at alpha male and roufus sports. Sage is very athletic and relatively strong. You can train him be more technical or use attacks that require more physicality. Basics matter but he can do more than that.

 

[RockyLockridge]

I think his issue was hanging out at alpha male and rofus sports.

his dad wasn't helping either

 

[VinceArch]

Sage was a UFC-level fighter

Not really. If that were the case he would still be part of the UFC and they tried helping him by giving him absolute fodder that he couldn't beat on his own. I think the ref helped him with his fight with Cody Pfister.

 

[Tweak896]

Sage was never unbeatable championship material, but better than plenty of forgettable fighters in UFC. People bandwagon the hate train because UFC was trying to push fighters that "fit" the image. People act like he was cm punk, when he was really large and athletic for his weight class.

 

[Harlekin]

He is still fighting, though. He's won one since the Cosmo massacre (and by heel hook, in under a minute), and was scheduled to fight Aoki for ONE, in Japan, but ONE misled him and his team, telling them to fly on out to Tokyo and they'd be allowed in without work VISAs. They landed and his team was denied entry, and Sage got pissed and refused to fight. Lineker ended up fighting Aoki in his place, at openweight, and Aoki won easily.

This and he also is just 28, might not be a world beater, but still has like 6 years of prime ahead of him.
All those bodybuilding muscles aren't in his favor though. I doubt he will change that given his past, father and instagram money.
Another win and then retry the UFC

 

[filthybliss]

He was thrown into the lions den early and did fine.

 

[Danespina]

Agreed. He was doing just fine when he left UFC despite being extremely young.

Plus his fighting style could be a lot of fun.

 

[Xuh]

Sage did OK in the UFC

 

[KillerIsBack V2]

fighting is not for pretty people

Genki Sudo and Akiyama are both models/actors/singer and sex symbols in their country.
Both are considered innovative pioneers by the MMA hardcore fanbase, even though they were just doing it as a hobby, not even a side hustle.

Gina Carano did decently and her elbows aren't pointy at all.

There are many other examples.

 

[usernamee]

well to be fair he was like 19 years old

Much like Bo Nickal, He gets promotional rub that he doesn't deserve so people dont like him.

That's why I said he would've done better if he got time to develop outside the UFC first.

I dislike Nickal because he keeps running his yap about being able to beat all the top 5 WWs easily and insists on taking tomato can after tomato can.

 

[uled]

Not here to say Sage was a great fighter, or a future contender, or anything like that, but I think time's been a bit cruel to young Sagey-boy.

When you look back at his career, he went 6-2 in the UFC. His only losses were to Gall and Barbarena, two guys who are STILL fighting in the UFC today. World beaters? No. But both respectable fighters in their own right.

He left the UFC on a 3 fight win streak, and his last win there was a KO.

Sure, Sage got his face smashed in by Cosmo Alexandre, but that guy was 8-1 and no joke with the kickboxing.

Overall, Sage went 12-3, and was only 19 when he entered the UFC. He showed promising striking and was athletic as hell. I imagine if he learned to take a punch and developed a ground game, he could still be fighting (although never a champion).

He did fine