Jimmy Crute: Australian mixed martial artist set to return in front of home fans at UFC 284

Jimmy Crute is set to face Alonzo Menifield at UFC 284 in front of his home crowd after more than a year away from the octagon. The Australian will open the main card in Perth this weekend with a light heavyweight contest against 'Atomic.'

The 26-year-old made his promotional debut against Paul Craig in 2018 and worked his way up to becoming the No.12-ranked light heavyweight. While Crute is certainly a prospect to look out for, he faces a tough test ahead of him.

He is currently on a two-fight losing slide and will be up against Menifield, who has secured two first-round knockouts in his last two outings. His unranked opponent also boasts four wins in his last five bouts.

Jimmy Crute last faced reigning champion Jamahal Hill at UFC Vegas 44 in 2021 and No.5-ranked Anthony Smith before that. 'The Brute' lost both bouts in the very first round before going on an extended hiatus from action. His last victory came in 2020 against Modestas Bukauskas, for which he earned a 'Performance of the Night' bonus.

Crute will be joined on the main card by his fellow countrymen Justin Tafa, Jack Della Maddalena, and featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski. The former Hex Fight Series light heavyweight champion will go into his fight this weekend with a record of 15-12-3.

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Jimmy Crute praises Jamahal Hill for his victory at UFC 283 to win the light heavyweight title

Jimmy Crute may have suffered his last loss to Jamahal Hill back in 2021, but the 26-year-old is showing no resentment toward the reigning 205-pound king.

At UFC 283, 'Sweet Dreams' dominated Glover Teixeira towards a unanimous decision victory in Brazil. After their five-round war, Hill took home the light heavyweight gold and became the first graduate of Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) to become a champion.

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Jimmy Crute opened up about the last man to beat him in the octagon, saying:

"To be honest, I was just happy for Jamahal, it’s his win. It’s his win to enjoy, and he’s a great person. It was just good to see him get what he deserved. He deserves to be a world champion. I don’t put myself selfishly into that situation. I’ll earn my own title shot and, yeah, it was just good to see that.”

Watch the full interview below: