Sage Northcutt is one of the recent new additions to Team Alpha Male, and gym founder Urijah Faber said the sky is the limit for the UFC lightweight.

Northcutt (9-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) joined the Sacramento, Calif.-based Team Alpha Male prior to his-unanimous-decision win over Michel Quinones (8-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 120 in November. He showed strides to in skill set with the performance, which he credited to his new fight team.

Since retiring from the sport this past year, Faber has taken a more vested interest in the rising talent at his gym, and 21-year-old Northcutt, in particular, has “The California Kid’s” attention. It’s not just because of Northcutt’s talent, though. Faber said his personality is infectious and a makes him a pleasure to be around.

“As far as a positive energy, I’ve never really met anyone like that,” Faber said this past weekend at UFC 219 in Las Vegas. “He brings joy. He’s like Santa with abs. It’s really cool to have him in the room. He brightens the mood. Everybody loves him. He’s genuine. He really comes off as real genuine, and he learns super fast. It’s crazy. It’s just about finding those bits and pieces to an already great skill set and mindset and good genetics and a lot of hard work.”

Northcutt’s next bout is against Thibault Gouti (12-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 126. The event takes place Feb. 18 at Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, and it airs on FS1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass (Northcutt is likely to be on the main card).

After beginning his UFC run with consecutive victories, “Super” has had an up-and-down run in recent years. He’s 2-2 in his past four fights, and the victory over Quinones marked his lone octagon appearance of 2017.

At Northcutt’s age, though, long breaks between fights can be beneficial. He was able find the right gym ad develop his skills. Faber said Northcutt has a high ceiling in the sport, and he’s encouraging the youngster to be more vocal about his goals and ambitions.

Northcutt told MMAjunkie in December 2015 that he wants to become the youngest champion in UFC history, breaking the record of Jon Jones, who at 23 captured the UFC light-heavyweight belt. Northcutt still has nearly two years to make that happen, and though Faber wishes he would say it more, he said he views a UFC title as a realistic goal for the 155-pound prospect.

“I’m encouraging him; he’s too nice to say he wants to go get the strap,” Faber said. “But that’s in his mind. At what point does someone just decide they want to be a champion? I think he’s probably had that for a long time, but I’m encouraging him to voice that because I think he can be a world champion, and I think we’re on a path to do that. It’s awesome to see him progress, and I think he’s going to be a world champ.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 126, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.