UFC vet Matt Serra: Northcutt has a bright future and will bounce back

UFC legend Matt Serra is confident that Sage Northcutt will bounce back from his upset loss to Bryan Barberena at UFC on FOX 18.

Is the best yet to come for Sage Northcutt? Many of MMA’s legends have bounced back from tough losses and etched their names in the history books forever. One of those greats is former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra, and the 41-year-old believes that Northcutt will bounce back stronger than ever.

Serra, who now coaches middleweight stud Chris Weidman, was used as a highlight reel not long after he made his UFC debut in 2001. The Brazilian JiuJitsu specialist was on his way to a clear-cut decision win over Shonie Carter before he was knocked out with a spinning back fist in the dying seconds of the fight.

“I started my career off on the wrong side of a highlight finish I still see to this day,” Serra said on a recent media tour promoting Dana White’s Looking for a Fight series (h/t Dave Doyle of MMA Fighting).” “They still show that clip. You gotta have a thick skin to be a fighter. You gotta be able to brush it off.”

Serra eventually went on to win season four of The Ultimate Fighter to challenge Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title. The New York-based fighter knocked out “Rush” in the first round at UFC 69, delivering one of the biggest upsets in the sports history.

When speaking of Northcutt, Serra said the 19-year-old has a bright future and believes his best fights are yet to come.

“He’s got a bright future and he’s going to bounce back,” Serra said. “Like I said, I was a highlight reel finish by spinning back fist. You grow, and this is a rough game. If It doesn’t happen now, it will happen. Everyone’s hating on him. But first of all, if you ever meet the kid, he’s, I’m talking, Brady Bunch nice. It’s almost ridiculous how nice this kid is, such a good kid, so you want him to do well. But I really think his best fights are ahead of him.”

Northcutt was touted as a mega-prospect by the UFC, with Kenny Florian hyping the lifelong martial artist as the next GSP. The hype train came to a halt at UFC on FOX 18 when Bryan Barberena submitted the Texan with an arm-triangle choke from half-guard.

The loss was ridiculed by fans and fighters on Twitter — Tony Ferguson celebrated Northcutt’s downfall and called him a “little bitch” — but Serra believes the backlash he received is a testament to his popularity and early success in the UFC.

“The more popular you get, the more it’s going to get like that,” Serra said. “Look at Ronda [Rousey]. When she’s winning, you can do nothing wrong. When you lose, people that you think aren’t going to come at you, will come at you, because they’re haters. This kid, just from the noise you’re hearing now with him losing, I mean, hey, they’re still talking about him.”

Northcutt recently announced a full-time move to Tristar Gym — home to Georges St-Pierre and Rory MacDonald — and Serra believes he will be unrecognizable in a few years.

“What I’d tell Sage is, the best thing to do is make an example of the next guy you see in the cage,” Serra said. “You can’t sit around and go ‘what if.’ The kid’s 19, By the time he’s 23 he could be a different guy. He’s surrounded by good people and he still has a bright, bright future.”

UFC legend Matt Serra is confident that Sage Northcutt will bounce back from his upset loss to Bryan Barberena at UFC on FOX 18.

Is the best yet to come for Sage Northcutt? Many of MMA’s legends have bounced back from tough losses and etched their names in the history books forever. One of those greats is former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra, and the 41-year-old believes that Northcutt will bounce back stronger than ever.

Serra, who now coaches middleweight stud Chris Weidman, was used as a highlight reel not long after he made his UFC debut in 2001. The Brazilian JiuJitsu specialist was on his way to a clear-cut decision win over Shonie Carter before he was knocked out with a spinning back fist in the dying seconds of the fight.

“I started my career off on the wrong side of a highlight finish I still see to this day,” Serra said on a recent media tour promoting Dana White’s Looking for a Fight series (h/t Dave Doyle of MMA Fighting).” “They still show that clip. You gotta have a thick skin to be a fighter. You gotta be able to brush it off.”

Serra eventually went on to win season four of The Ultimate Fighter to challenge Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title. The New York-based fighter knocked out “Rush” in the first round at UFC 69, delivering one of the biggest upsets in the sports history.

When speaking of Northcutt, Serra said the 19-year-old has a bright future and believes his best fights are yet to come.

“He’s got a bright future and he’s going to bounce back,” Serra said. “Like I said, I was a highlight reel finish by spinning back fist. You grow, and this is a rough game. If It doesn’t happen now, it will happen. Everyone’s hating on him. But first of all, if you ever meet the kid, he’s, I’m talking, Brady Bunch nice. It’s almost ridiculous how nice this kid is, such a good kid, so you want him to do well. But I really think his best fights are ahead of him.”

Northcutt was touted as a mega-prospect by the UFC, with Kenny Florian hyping the lifelong martial artist as the next GSP. The hype train came to a halt at UFC on FOX 18 when Bryan Barberena submitted the Texan with an arm-triangle choke from half-guard.

The loss was ridiculed by fans and fighters on Twitter — Tony Ferguson celebrated Northcutt’s downfall and called him a “little bitch” — but Serra believes the backlash he received is a testament to his popularity and early success in the UFC.

“The more popular you get, the more it’s going to get like that,” Serra said. “Look at Ronda [Rousey]. When she’s winning, you can do nothing wrong. When you lose, people that you think aren’t going to come at you, will come at you, because they’re haters. This kid, just from the noise you’re hearing now with him losing, I mean, hey, they’re still talking about him.”

Northcutt recently announced a full-time move to Tristar Gym — home to Georges St-Pierre and Rory MacDonald — and Serra believes he will be unrecognizable in a few years.

“What I’d tell Sage is, the best thing to do is make an example of the next guy you see in the cage,” Serra said. “You can’t sit around and go ‘what if.’ The kid’s 19, By the time he’s 23 he could be a different guy. He’s surrounded by good people and he still has a bright, bright future.”