ONE Fight Night 10: Ahmed Mujtaba Envisions Knockout Win Over Sage Northcutt

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Having finally come into form inside ONE's lightweight division, Ahmed Mujtaba is on the hottest streak of his career - but he's also on the cusp of the biggest contest of his life.

That's because in just a matter of days, "Wolverine" faces returning "Super" Sage Northcutt at ONE Championship's inaugural US show, ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes III, on Saturday (May 6) at the sold-out 1stBank Center in Colorado.

To get this far, Mujtaba had to put in back-to-back wins for the first time in his ONE tenure, and both have come inside the opening frame by stunning finishes.

The first to taste the newly developed wrath of "Wolverine" was Rahul Raju at ONE: UNBREAKABLE III, and the Indian was immediately pressed by Mujtaba.

The Pakistani punisher cracked Raju with everything he had on several occasions, and the latter ultimately succumbed to the newfound power possessed by Mujtaba.

What followed was a statement-making performance when the former met Brazilian standout Abraao Amorim last November at ONE 163. This time, Mujtaba boldly elected to showcase his grappling skills with the decorated submission artist.

In four and a half minutes, Mujtaba stunned the crowd and Amorim when he locked in an inverted triangle to submit the Brazilian, setting the ball in motion for his biggest contest yet.

"The reception in Pakistan was great. People were quite amazed. And being from Pakistan, it was a big thing for us, you know. Submitting a two-time IBJJF champion and a third or fourth degree belt in jiu-jitsu, it was a big moment for the MMA community in Pakistan," Mujtaba said.

"The fans really loved it. It was one of the most beautiful triangles that ever happened in the history of martial arts and in ONE Championship."

On Mujtaba's fateful night in Denver, Colorado, fans will see America's own Northcutt return after four years away from action. After stumbling in his debut performance in 2019 against Cosmo Alexandre and facing multiple injuries as a result, the California kid will look to stop Mujtaba in his tracks.

At only 26-years-old, Northcutt still has plenty of time remaining in his fight career. Nowhere else would be sweeter for the blonde-haired battler to resume his journey than in his home country. But as far as Mujtaba is concerned, his own fairytale will come to fruition.

"I would love to knock this guy out because I love knockouts," he said. "You never know what happens in the game. It's just a seconds-game away like my previous fight. The triangle was within seconds. You never know where the game is going. I'm going to smash this guy."