ONE Championship has officially responded to Sage Northcutt’s recent account of why he withdrew from the Shinya Aoki fight in Japan, addressing the perceived misunderstanding between the promotion and the American superstar.
In an official statement provided to the media, ONE Championship expressed empathy for Northcutt’s situation and acknowledged the challenges he faced during ONE 165, where two of his coaches were not allowed to corner him, leading to his withdrawal from the event.
The statement clarified that a change in external guidance from a third-party visa consultancy on Certificate of Eligibility (COE) requirements for all cornermen at ONE 165 resulted in work visa processing issues, affecting multiple athletes.
The promotion emphasized that they communicated the ongoing issues to athletes and their management, but there was a misunderstanding with the options presented to Sage and his team. Despite the recent comments made by Northcutt, ONE Championship values his partnership on both a personal and professional level, expressing hope for an amicable resolution to the situation.
The statement highlighted that the promotion acted in the best interest of the athletes by ensuring compliance with local laws and emphasized that the visa issues were an isolated incident, considering their track record of successfully accommodating athletes and their cornermen for numerous global events.
Sage Northcutt joined ONE Championship in May 2019, experiencing a tough debut with a knockout loss to Cosmo Alexandre. After a hiatus, he returned in May 2023, securing a victory over Ahmed Mujtaba.
Northcutt was scheduled to face former ONE lightweight MMA world champion Shinya Aoki at ONE 165 in Japan but withdrew from the fight just minutes before the match due to visa issues with his cornermen.
