Sage Northcutt confident of beating Mickey Gall at 170lb before the end of the year

Sage Northcutt's next bout will likely come in December, and the UFC starlet has no fears whatsoever about his anticipated opponent.

Mickey Gall called out Northcutt after beating CM Punk at UFC 203, and the pair seem poised to go toe-to-toe before the end of the year. But Northcutt told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour that he thinks UFC 205 in New York will come too early, as his recovery from a staphylococcal infection has restricted his ability to train. https://twitter.com/ufcrumors/status/775857587464142848 “Normally that’d be great, but I haven’t really gotten to train very much, just because I’m healing up from my staph infection," Northcutt said of a potential bout at Madison Square Garden. “Coming off my last fight I would have liked to train more, but all I’ve been able to do is just train a few body parts here and there, just working out in the gym with weights. Not much grappling or stand-up like I’d like to.” The 20-year-old, who has an 8-1 career MMA record (2-1 UFC), lost his one previous welterweight bout against Bryan Barbarena, but has no reservations about taking on Gall at 170lb. He has noted that all three of the New Jersey fighter's bouts so far - against Ron Templeton, Mike Jackson and CM Punk - have seen him face fighters with "An MMA record of nothing".

"All I can say is that I believe I have better grappling than [Gall], and I believe that I have better stand-up," Northcutt added. "If I want to go out there and stand up with him and knock him out, I believe I can do that. If I want to take him down and submit him then I believe I can do that also."