Why did Jimmy Crute retire and what made him come back? Incredible story behind UFC star's return

Two years ago, Jimmy Crute's retirement seemed like the correct decision for the 205-pounder. However, the wisdom of his father, Gary Crute, dragged him out of the pit of despair. Were it not for that, he would not be in the position he now finds himself in.

This weekend, Jimmy makes his return at UFC 312 on home soil, facing Rodolfo Bellato on the main card of a pay-per-view featuring two championship bouts. At just 28 years old, he was one of the youngest retirees in recent history. But what exactly caused him to walk away from the sport?

More importantly, why and how did his father convince him to give MMA a second go?

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Why did Jimmy Crute retire and what made him come back?

At UFC 290 on July 8, 2023, Jimmy Crute faced Alonzo Menifield in a rematch of their first fight. It did not go his way, ending with a Menifield submission win. The loss left Crute on a four-fight winless streak consisting of three losses and one draw. It was indicative of his fall from grace since losing to Misha Cirkunov.

At one point, Crute was an undefeated prospect at 10-0, but then he lost to Cirkunov before going 2-4-1 in his next seven fights. For that, he retired. But thanks to his father's intervention, he opted against committing to his retirement, detailing the moment to Fox Sports Australia in a text interview from late 2024.

"Dad just said to me, 'Not like this, mate.' He told me if I was done, it was fine. But he said I needed to think about it first, and it's lucky for me it was my old man there. Because if it had been anyone else, I probably would've started swinging on them. But dad, he knows me well. He's always been that person in my life I listen to. So it's lucky he was there."

Now, Crute is scheduled to compete on the second UFC pay-per-view of the year in his home country, facing Brazilian prospect Rodolfo Bellato.

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Who has Jimmy Crute lost to in the UFC?

Jimmy Crute's first two fights under the UFC banner went his way, as he finished dangerous submission specialist Paul Craig and perennial loser Sam Alvey in back-to-back fights. It improved his overall record to 10-0. Unfortunately, that was the end of his stint as a high-potential prospect.

He was submitted by Misha Cirkunov in his subsequent bout. While he bounced back with two wins over Michał Oleksiejczuk and Modestas Bukauskas. Thereafter, he lost to Anthony Smith, Jamahal Hill, and Alonzo Menifield.