19 year old Karate black belt “Super” Sage Northcutt proved to be worth hype in his UFC 192 debut in Houston. He had a TKO victory over Francisco Trevino in a mere 57 seconds.

He could be 10 times the UFC star Georges St-Pierre was. He could be the next Jean-Claude Van Damme. Or he might do both at the same time.

Those are the words of three-time UFC championship challenger turned commentator Kenny Florian after the UFC debut of Sage Northcutt.

Northcutt, is now 6-0 in MMA and promised to a bright career in the UFC. He was asked by MMA Junkie what he thought about Ronda Rousey and who he considers a model for his career:

“I guess for the girls, everything Ronda Rousey’s done is amazing,” he said.

It’s no wonder Rousey factors into the conversation, mainly because like Northcutt, it’s hard to avoid her these days. The UFC women’s bantamweight champ not only rules over her division, but is the pound-for-pound champ in press coverage. Every step of her career is documented, from a spot on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” to her latest relationship gossip.

Rousey, of course, carved out the role for herself over the past two years with dominant performances, but also with a taste and talent for controversy. She isn’t afraid to play the role of provocateur outside the cage. And that’s perhaps where Northcutt said he and “Rowdy” differ.

While Northcutt didn’t point to anything in particular about Rousey’s persona, he made it clear they don’t necessarily have the same PR strategy.

“I know the way she carries herself is slightly different than the way I would carry myself, but she’s incredible in everything she’s accomplished,” he said. “It’s amazing for a girl, and she’s done some awesome things.”

And who would he like to model his career after? None other than UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman.

He stated:

“How he (Weidman) carries himself, he’s just awesome.”