Here's why UFC 290 fighter Jimmy Crute didn't stop living in a van despite signing with the promotion

Jimmy Crute is widely regarded as one of the top MMA prospects from Australia today. The 27-year-old made his UFC main roster debut in December 2018. He's amassed a record of four victories, three defeats, and one draw in the UFC organization thus far.

However, despite competing in several MMA bouts in the UFC since 2018, 'The Brute' chose to live in a van. The van in question was a Mercedes Sprinter van, which was modified to include a coffee machine, refrigerator, television, and fold-down bed.

As reported by The Sun in February 2021, Crute was living out of a van in spite of having earned respectable sums of money through his octagon appearances. Accompanying the Australian fighter in his van as a roommate was his pet, a dog named Buddha.

The rising light heavyweight star proceeded to reveal why he sold most of his belongings and chose the van life. Jimmy Crute suggested that he dislikes paying rent and would rather live out of a van near his gym. He aimed to stay close to the gym and focus on his training. 'The Brute' stated:

"Man, I just f***ing hate paying bills. I hate paying rent... It’s something I wanted to do even before I got signed, I just liked the idea of van life... I’ve decked it all out myself, it has running water, solar power and I’ve done everything myself on it."

He added:

"It’s just a little project and I don’t really care what normal is. I don’t give a f*** what people think about me. I just do what I want to do."

In March 2021, The Daily Telegraph reported that Crute had bought himself a house courtesy of a couple of 50,000 USD bonuses he received from UFC president Dana White. The report claimed that 'The Brute' had shifted to a house and wasn't living out of his van anymore.

Furthermore, in an interview with mainevent in December 2021, Jimmy Crute indicated that he did buy a house from the wealth he's earned via his UFC fights and doesn't live in a van anymore.

Watch Crute's interview with mainevent below:

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What's next for UFC light heavyweight Jimmy Crute?

Jimmy Crute boasts a professional MMA record of 12 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw. Moreover, as noted, the Australian MMA stalwart's UFC record stands at 4-3-1. 'The Brute' has lost two of his last three fights. Besides, his most recent fight witnessed him face Alonzo Menifield at UFC 284 in February of this year. Their back-and-forth showdown ended in a majority draw.

Presently, Jimmy Crute is scheduled to face Alonzo Menifield in a rematch of their UFC 284 light heavyweight clash. The 205-pound fighters will face one another for the second time at the upcoming UFC 290 event as part of the UFC's International Fight Week. Their much-awaited rematch will be featured on the UFC 290 preliminary card, with the event taking place on July 8th, 2023.