Dana White couldn’t believe what he was seeing from a fighter that defied his expectations on several occasions.
As proven earlier this week, when White didn’t sign a fighter despite a dominant win, he knows what he’s looking for when scouting potential UFC fighters.
The promotion currently adds a huge amount of new talent onto the roster every year via Dana White’s Contender Series.
Before this, there were other pathways into the UFC, one of which was used by a fighter who made his Octagon debut on this day in 2015.
UFC 192 is an event that White remembers for an incredibly worrying call that he received, but the card itself saw an exciting arrival.
Dana White had mocked Sage Northcutt only for him to produce a 57-second knockout in his UFC debut
While his UFC career didn’t go to plan, Sage Northcutt’s Octagon debut at UFC 192 helped to prove that he belonged on the roster.
Northcutt would go on to fight for ONE Championship after parting ways with the UFC in 2018, but there was a lot of discussion about his potential early on.
The karate prodigy was signed to the UFC following an impressive performance on ‘Lookin’ for a Fight’.
After seeing an image of Northcutt, Dana White made jokes about the teenager’s model-like looks before picking his opponent to win, only to be quickly proved wrong.
The UFC president admitted to ‘Super’ Sage after the fight that he had his doubts about what kind of fighter he would be, only to be incredibly excited after watching him perform.
Northcutt was able to continue proving people wrong in his Octagon debut, stopping Francisco Trevino in just 57 seconds at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
White went on to praise the performance as “unbelievable” when speaking about the 19-year-old on FOX Sports 1.
Sage Northcutt recently completed a career switch following an incredibly difficult few years
The UFC didn’t re-sign Sage Northcutt in 2018 despite the fact that he went 6-1 during his time with the promotion.
After a devastating KO loss on his ONE Championship debut, ‘Super’ Sage was inactive for four years due to his significant injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic.
While Northcutt went on to secure his first win in the promotion in May of 2023, his return in January of 2024 led to him publicly clashing with ONE Championship after he withdrew from the bout due to his cornermen not being able to enter Japan.
The 29-year-old looked to be returning to MMA with the GFL, but after their events were cancelled, it was announced this week that he’s pursuing a career in real estate.
It remains to be seen whether Northcutt will continue to compete, but given his years of frustrations with not being able to be active in MMA, this could be the end of his run.