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Where does Sage Northcutt come from, and how did he alight in such a sordid game as this?

Not that the fight game is brimming with unsavory characters, but it does tend to fetch a certain type — the truth is, sometimes volatile people hold themselves together by wrapping their hands. For control freaks, rules can be a tricky thing, too, because…well, people who go in for self-destruction should be given a little leeway. In fighting we deal in squints and asterisks and in turning the other cheek. A lot of times we tag such cases as "redemption" stories. This week in New Jersey, there is a casual representation of the fact.

Ben Rothwell, though a most pleasant juggernaut to be around, served a suspension for elevated testosterone back in 2013, right after he discovered himself in a berserker moment against Brandon Vera (though he had a pretty legit excuse).