Sydney, Australia — It’s been over a year and a half since MMA fans last saw Jimmy Crute, a stretch that saw the UFC light heavyweight mulling retirement.
Instead, the Australian returns to action at UFC 312 in Sydney this Saturday, picking up where he left off in a division he now sees as “wide open.”
“It’s wide open. I do always pay attention to what’s happening, at light heavyweight especially. Even if I don’t watch it, I just keep tabs on it,” Crute (12-4-1) told media outlets including Cageside Press during Wednesday’s media day. “It’s wide open, there’s big opportunities to be had here. I feel like I’m in a perfect spot to re-introduce myself.”
Of course, there was always the possibility that this return wouldn’t come. Crute is fighting Rodolfo Bellato at UFC 312, but he just as easily could be slugging bags of cement. And he would have been just fine with it.
“I sort of realized while I was away that I could do anything I wanted. It was quite a freeing thing,” revealed Crute. “I went and did some concrete, I went and did some work with my mates. I thought ‘oh this is actually quite easy, this is an easy way to make a living.’ It’s much easier than I thought it would be. I used to work a lot before I got into the UFC too, I’m not scared of a hard day’s work.”
“To me though, there’s just so much left undone here,” he added. “I don’t ever want to work for the man again.” Yet having said that, Crute finished his thought by saying “I’d have a good life with or without this.”
It’s been a year and a half, more even, since Jimmy Crute last fought. Even longer since he’s won a fight. That would be October of 2020, when he knocked out Modestas Bukauskas. Asked whether he felt written off at all of 28 years old, Crute replied “Maybe. I don’t care.”
Watch the full UFC 312 media day appearance by Jimmy Crute above.
