It’s been a while since Jimmy Crute has fought on home soil, as he is set to fight Alonzo Menifield this Sunday at UFC 284 in Perth.
Crute has spent some time away from the octagon this past year to recover from an ACL reconstruction and is now fired up to perform in front of his home crowd this weekend. The Aussie has stated that the time off has been the ‘best thing’ for his career and for him to go back and reinvent himself.
“I didn’t have to go back and reset anything, I had to go back and change my whole life. You know this last year has been an absolute crazy journey and a lot of work has gone into it, even outside of training. I had to change how I look at the world, so that’s going to show on February 12th, and it’s going to look like a different person in there, I promise you guys,” Crute told MMA Junkie.
The Victorian native is more than ready to prove he is a top contender in the light heavyweight division. After suffering tough back-to-back losses against Anthony Smith and Jamahal Hill in 2021, the Aussie has taken time off to come in with the mindset of a champion.
“I could win a world title in 2023. It’s not the most likely situation just because I need to go on a three or four-fight-winning streak before I’m even considered. But as we’ve seen, anything can happen, but I plan to be a world champion, and I plan, this run that I’m going on now, this string of wins is going to take me there. I’m going to be world champion whether it’s this year or next year, or the year after, I don’t care. I’m prepared to do the work, I know what I have to do, and there’s no stopping me. I’m going to be a world champion,” Crute said.
The Aussie is confident in getting the job done this weekend, having spent part of his training camp with Robert Whittaker and his team. However, Crute understands that Menifield will be a stern test for him as he attempts to climb back up the rankings.
“Alonzo’s got some great skills too you know. I think people underestimate his wrestling and his ability to string things together. He’s more than just a big heavy hitter, but he’s not gonna, just wait. All I’m going to say is just wait because I’m going to blow him out of the water. This is different, this is different this time. He’s preparing for the wrong person, I promise you.”
Crute is currently (5-3) in the UFC and holds a professional record of 12 wins and 3 losses.
Menifield is coming into this bout on a 2 fight-winning streak, comprising of 2 knockout finishes in the first round and is looking to add the No. 12 light heavyweight to that list. The American has racked up 6 wins in the UFC since his knockout finish on Dana Whites Contender Series in 2018.
