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Dana White 'blew it' allowing Sage Northcutt to fight sick: 'I should have pulled him

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#1 ·
UFC President Dana White regrets allowing Sage Northcutt to compete while sick at UFC on FOX 18 this past month.

Northcutt (7-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) suffered a second-round submission loss to Bryan Barberena (11-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at the event and was heavily criticized for a lackluster performance that ended when he tapped to an awkwardly applied arm-triangle choke.

The outcome marked the 19-year-old’s first career defeat, and while he was in high spirits afterward, Northcutt revealed days later that he competed with strep throat. According to “Super,” he felt under the weather to the point he was taken to a doctor and medicated prior to the fight.

“Two days before my fight, I had a real bad relapse of the strep throat and I had to go to the emergency ready clinic,” Northcutt told MMAFighting.com. “The UFC had to take me, then (a doctor) with the UFC had to write a prescription for more antibiotics, stuff like that. So I really couldn’t explain how I felt out there. I felt really horrible.”

Although White was one of the people that gave Northcutt the green light to compete with strep throat, he said in hindsight the decision was wrong. If White had the option of a do-over, he said he would have pulled Northcutt from the bout.

“The kid really wanted to fight and I let him fight and he was sick as hell – I blew it,” White told BigBoyTV while showing a photo sent to him of Northcutt’s throat.


A picture of Sage Northcutt's strep throat infection taken 2 days before his fight

“I blew that one, so bad. The kid was super sick and he still wanted to fight, his father said, ‘Listen, we still want to take this fight, we want to take this fight.’ I should have pulled the kid from the fight.”

Despite the fact Northcutt and his team pushed to go through with the contest, White said he should have used more discretion in the situation. Northcutt made his UFC debut at UFC 192 in October then made a quick turnaround to compete at UFC Fight Night 80 in December. He got minimal rest after that, because he turned around quickly again to fight at UFC on FOX 18 in January.

Given Northcutt’s frequent fight schedule, White said it should have made the decision to pull him from the fight that much easier.

“He’s 19 years old,” White said. “He fought three times in (four) months – I should have pulled him.”

Northcutt received a wide variety of reactions following the loss. Some of his fellow fighters were extremely outspoken and took joy in his defeat. Others who are able to better relate to the situation showed support for the youngster.

White said the defeat was undoubtedly a setback, but ultimately Northcutt is still the youngest fighter on the UFC roster and because of that he expects him to have a bright future.

“What was great is when Sage lost and Sage came back to my room, (former UFC champion) Matt (Serra) was in there and gave him a talk,” White said. “Matt said, ‘Listen, I was 26 years old and Shonie Carter caught me with a spinning backfist. You’re 19, you got the world by the balls.'”
http://mmajunkie.com/2016/02/dana-w...thcutt-to-fight-sick-i-should-have-pulled-him
 
#4 ·
Its honestly for the best... Northcutt seems tough, as far as taking criticism goes, he did not hide away like Ronda, he did the interview with Helwani days after the fight. Its good in the sense now that the bubble has burst so to speak, and he can go forward with more measure expectations placed on his shoulders.

Kinda like the kid too, hope he does well.
 
#5 ·
Not shocking that excuses were real quick to follow.

They brought in a bum who lost his last fight vs no one. Who was TKOd by Joe Ellenberger.

Next time he loses he will have twisted an ankle.

Bottom line he is real young and is no better than an solid prospect the ufc offers. But he has 5 pages on the first page because Dana tells you how he is the next thing.

He is no different. A project who is young who isnt ready who lost.
 
#7 ·
I did and see nothing unfactual unless you want to argue for 2 pages what "bum" means.

He lost to a below average fighter who had been TKOd by Joe Ellenberger....the less little bro of the vastly overrated jake.

Again im not saying Sage should be Vitor at age 19. But he is no diffetent than the 100 other prospects that filter thru the ufc a year.

Only difference is Dana has chosen him to tell you about and praise. He shoukf have been on a local circuit till he was 20 or 21 at least.

He makes more on paper than Nate Or Roy. What has he done? He is a mediocre ufc prospect who has youth on his side.
 
#8 ·
Barbarena TKOd Joe Ellenberger not the other way round. That's what he meant by fact check. Barbarena isn't elite by any means but he's no bum, he's a legit UFC level fighter not CM Punk or something.

Sage is being pushed too hard for a 19 year old kid with very little elite level training and balancing with school full time.

The mad potential is still there and this beginner mistake loss will only help him improve, it's not like he got outclassed like Diaz vs Jeremy Jackson or Conor vs Duffee. Both of whom were near the same age as Northcutt is now.
 
#11 ·
What separted Brock from Roy?

Hmmm lets see....

So athletic he not only won the HW national wrestle tourney.....but was also good enough to be involved with NFL football. Or the 30lbs he shed to make 265lb rather than a blob of a mess.

Brock not only has size, athleticism.....he has top of the food chain wrestling.

Sage has no the size that much. Nor a background. His worthless striking wins as a kid is not comparible to the moster that was Vrock winning the HW bational championship.

Annd who is yo say Roy wouldnt of beat Brock?

Brock did his thing. Bur facts are what panned out was a win over a 45 year old 205. Heath herring. Shane carwin who seized up after 1 round of pummling Brock. He did bully Mir the and time.

Not trying to not give Sage a chance. He is 19. But the only reason anyone cares is because Dana tells you too.

Bad comparison in my opinion. 1 was a former pro wrestler with elite proven wr3stling cred eho dwarfed guys he fought and was way faster than other fat HWs. The other is a 19 year old "good striker" i guess with muscles.

I have only watched 2 fights of his. And yes while he is athletic you would say.....he isnt jump out of the gym athletic. MichLe johnson is athletic. Rory is athletic.
 
#13 ·
I don't give a crap about what Dana tells me, Sage has been making the buzz on the forums and MMA sites long before Dana pushed him. Dana is trying to cash out on his existing popularity, not build him up artificially, for that you have his lover Rousey.

Sage dwarfs every LW the same way Brock did every HW. He has the best muscle:fat ratio in the div if not all of MMA and cuts big to make the limit, same as Brock did until Overeem juiced his way to a similar physique.

You think Sage's athletic background is nothing? Are you even aware of his high school sports accomplishments? In wrestling the guy finished FIFTH at state with only two months on the team. TWO MONTHS. Most guys at the state championships have spent all of middle and high school i.e. 4-8 years on the wrestling team and this kid did it with a couple of months. And somehow you think Rory MacDonald with ZERO athletic credentials is more naturally athletic?

http://www.ufc.com/news/Welcome-to-the-UFC--Sage-Northcutt

I would say doing that with two months of full time wrestling is actually more impressive than Brock's NCAA win, considering Brock's massive size advantage even in school and his years of training.

And the only reason Northcutt doesn't have an NCAA wrestling record is because he is nineteen ... a sophomore in college and already fighting professionally in the UFC, there is no way he can actually compete in collegiate wrestling alongside that and studies and I'm not even sure he's allowed to once he's gone pro.

Yeah Rory and Johnson are athletic ... and that's why they're top 5 and strong title contenders at LW and WW, what's your point? That's Sage's potential too, or better if he trains with the right guys, considering how much more grounded and level headed he is.

Who is to say Roy wouldn't have beat Brock? Let's see Brock destroyed Mir and Mir destroyed Roy, that's one indication. Brock has multiple top 5 wins, Roy has NONE. Of course, who can say until they fight right? But hey who's to say Sage wouldn't destroy Overeem ... well they haven't fought so I guess we'll just assume he can!
 
#15 ·
God shut up Dana you ******* hypocrite. All you hear from Dana is "Do you wanna be a fighter? Fight on short notice, fight hurt, fight anyone, anywhere, anytime." but now after one of their posterboy's loses he says I should have pulled him because he was sick. Half the fighters on the roster would probably be insta cut if they went to Dana two days before and event and said "Yeah, I can't fight I have a sore throat".

Shut. Up. Dana. Lying, fair weather piece of garbage.
 
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