Sage Northcutt vs Shinya Aoki booked for April 28 on TNT

Nearly two years after his face-breaking loss against kickboxing bruiser Cosmo Alexandre, former UFC two-division prospect will make his return to ONE Championship for a 170-pound showdown opposite veteran submission specialist Shinya Aoki.

That’s according to a report from ESPN.

Northcutt (11-3), still just 24 years old, departed UFC on the strength of three straight wins, including a second-round knockout over Zak Ottow in his “Super” swan song. That didn’t seem to faze the rough-and-tumble Alexandre, who hospitalized Northcutt with multiple facial fractures back in May 2019.

As for the aging Aoki (46-9, 1 NC), who turns 38 in May, he was able to rebound from his championship loss to Christian Lee at ONE: “Enter the Dragon” to capture three consecutive wins, including last January’s first-round submission victory over the venerable James Nakashima.

Northcutt vs. Aoki will air live on April 28 as part of the promotion’s month-long run on TNT.