Jimmy Crute eager for “tough fight” against Rodolfo Bellato at UFC 312 after stepping away from MMA

Jimmy Crute is eager to be back and fighting in Australia.

Crute announced he’d be stepping away from MMA after his submission loss to Alonzo Menifield in July of 2023. The light heavyweight will now return at UFC 312 in Australia, as he says the time is right for him to come back.

“I had to let my body heal, I had a lot of injuries,” Crute said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “Mentally too, I needed to take a step out of the pressure cooker and freshen up mentally. Give my brain a rest, give my body a rest, my mental health a rest, and come back myself… I think it’s happening exactly when it’s supposed to, to be honest. We asked to go a bit earlier, but the UFC asked me to wait for Sydney. So, here we are.”

Once he was ready to return, Jimmy Crute was booked to fight Marcin Parchnio but he pulled out and was replaced by Rodolfo Bellato. Crute admits he didn’t know who Bellato was, but once he looked him up, he realized it would be a tough fight.

“I hadn’t seen any of his fights. When I looked up his fights, I realized this is a tough fight and not one I can take lightly. I’m excited for it. It’s going to bring out the best in me,” Crute added.

Jimmy Crute looking to put on a show

With Crute expecting a tough fight at UFC 312, he says he trained harder than he ever has.

Despite being the underdog, Jimmy Crute has plenty of confidence heading into his fight against Rodolfo Bellato.

“I look forward to putting on a show in front of the Aussies… I want to win and perform to the best of my ability. But, I tell myself my life is awesome no matter what,” Crute said. “This fight, I’m training harder than I ever have and I have sacrificed more than I ever have, but the pressure is off me because I love my fight no matter what… I think I can knock him out and do some damage on the ground, but I’m sure he thinks he can do the same. Let the best man win.”

Should Crute get his hand raised, he isn’t sure what would be next for him. Instead, he says he’s just focused on this fight in his return to the UFC.

“I’m not thinking about climbing the rankings. I’m just happy to be back,” Crute concluded.