A loss doesn't make a rookie's career

UFC prospect Sage Northcutt experienced his first professional MMA loss after Bryan Barberena submitted him with a triangle choke in the second round of their fight, Jan. 30.

Typically when fighters lose, fans and critics will throw stones at them on social media. After Northcutt’s loss, many fighters and armchair quarterbacks came out of the woodwork and tore the prospect apart.

UFC president Dana White signed Northcutt to a contract after he saw his second-round submission win over Rocky Long, from Spring, Texas, in August 2015. He won his first two UFC bouts before the loss to Barberena.

But is it really Northcutt that fans don’t like, or is it the circumstances that brought him to the UFC that they are critical of? Many look at Northcutt and say he’s too young to be fighting in the UFC — he’s only 19 years old. Others say Northcutt doesn’t have enough experience to warrant his opportunity to fight on a big stage — he was 5-0 and competing in regional promotions before the UFC. Many also feel Northcutt doesn’t deserve the promotional push or the big paychecks — he earned $40,000 to compete in his last fight — he was receiving from the UFC. But MMA fans tend to dislike fighters who they feel are being pushed by the promoter. It happened to fighters like former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, Paige VanZant and current featherweight champ Conor McGregor. These fighters were starting to gain popularity until the UFC signed them and White said “hey we like these guys too.” Then fans see the UFC giving them opportunities and preferential treatment and they’ll find reasons not to like them or point out flaws in their skills and personality.

But what about Northcutt? Sure he’s young but should age matter when it comes to combat sports.

As for experience, there have been many fighters who signed with the UFC that had less experience than Northcutt, including Rousey, former welterweight champion (170) Georges St-Pierre and former middleweight (185) titleholder Chris Weidman.

Northcutt is also one of these younger fighters who is progressing quickly in the sport, so quick that they are reaching the higher level of competition, faster than the older athletes.

Northcutt also took advantage of an opportunity. Sometimes in life, it’s not about how great you are, it’s about seeking and finding opportunities — or letting them find you — and taking advantage of them.

The good thing about sports is Northcutt has time to improve. If he loses 1-2 more fights in the next couple of years, then critics can take solace in that he was a bad signing for the UFC. But if he wins and continues to climb the ladder, he’ll prove to fans and critics that he has earned the opportunities the UFC gave him when he started out with the promotion.

Al Stover can be reached at al@cheneyfreepress.com.