Sage Northcutt’s next UFC fight delayed because of surgery

After battling strep throat on multiple occasions throughout his short Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) career, Sage Northcutt will go under the knife to correct the issue, as “Super” is set to have his tonsils removed next week, which will delay his combat comeback.

Following his loss to Bryan Barbarena at UFC on FOX 18, Northcutt revealed he wasn’t 100 percent going in, declaring that a battle with strep throat hindered him in the days leading up to the bout. It’s a claim that was backed by UFC president Dana White.

And after his most recent case of strep throat while helping Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley prepare for his rematch with Stephen Thompson at UFC 209 last month, Northcutt’s team decided it was best to get his tonsils removed.

“His tonsils were damaged from the first (strep throat illness) and had little pits or holes in them that kept harboring bacteria,” Mark Northcutt -- Sage’s dad -- told MMA Fighting.

Northcutt (8-2, 3-2 UFC) hoped to return at the stacked UFC 211 pay-per-view (PPV) event on May 13, 2017, in Dallas, Texas -- his home state — but his upcoming surgery has derailed those plans. He last competed at UFC on FOX 22 in Dec. 2016, losing to Mickey Gall via second-round submission.