News of Sage Northcutt‘s long-awaited return has generated tremendous buzz all across the MMA world, but what of his opponent?
The American star takes on Pakistani lightweight Ahmed Mujtaba (10-2) at “ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes III” on May 5. This fight marks his first MMA bout in four years.
Before the pair lock horns as part of ONE Championship’s historic U.S. debut at the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colorado, you might have some questions about the man standing across the ONE circle from Northcutt (11-3).
Here’s what you need to know about the man they call “Wolverine.”
Who is Ahmed Mujtaba?
Mujtaba grew up in Quetta, Pakistan.
He was an athletic kid, but he had ambitions to become a doctor – a far cry from a career as a mixed martial artist.
It wasn’t until his late teens when Mujtaba took an interest in martial arts.
Initially, he stepped into Islamabad’s Fight Fortress MMA to learn how to defend himself against bullies. But within three weeks, the tenacious youngster took his first amateur fight – a four-second knockout victory.
Mujtaba’s dreams of becoming a doctor soon began to melt away, making way for his newfound passion.
What is his record?
Turning pro in 2012, Mujtaba racked up six consecutive wins on the Asia circuit – four submissions and a pair of TKOs.
Alongside his MMA career, “Wolverine” took home four medals – a gold, a silver, and two bronze – at the 2014 and 2015 Pakistani Grappling Championships.
Despite his early success, money was scarce on the local scene in Pakistan. But in 2016, ONE Championship came calling and things quickly began to change.
Mujtaba, then 22, was still juggling his MMA career alongside his university studies.
But he worked extra harder in training camp and enjoyed a successful ONE Championship debut at “ONE: Defending Honor” in November 2016, as he earned a unanimous decision victory over Singapore’s Benedict Ang.
Now 29 years old and representing the famed American Kickboxing Academy, Mujtaba holds a 10-2 record and finds himself on a two-bout winning streak.
What does he bring to the table?
Mujtaba is a well-rounded finisher with genuine knockout power in his hands.
That power was on full display at “ONE: Unbreakable III” in February 2021, as he shut off Rahul Raju‘s lights with a crushing right hand.
But where the lightweight star really shines is on the ground.
Mujtaba, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt, possesses a tricky ground game with a range of slick submission in his arsenal – particularly from his back. His guard game stood up to a huge test last November, when he shockingly submitted Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Abraao Amorim with a slick triangle choke at ONE 163.
Make no mistake, this is no gimme fight for the returning Northcutt. Wherever the fight takes place, the American superstar will have to be at the top of his game in order to get past the fighting pride of Pakistan.
