Jimmy Crute opens up on damage caused at UFC 261 and if he needs surgery

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4 years ago

Jim Crute lands a punch in his fight against Sam Alvey in their Light Heavyweight fight during UFC234 at Rod Laver Arena on February 10, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Jimmy Crute suffered a freak injury against Anthony Smith at UFC 261 raising concerns of needing a surgery.

UFC 261 was a cracker of an event. There wouldn’t have been any main card as entertaining and eventful as the UFC 261 main card. It began with the light-heavyweight bout between Jimmy Crute and Anthony Smith.

The first round saw both the fighters go hammer and tongs. But it was Lionheart Smith who was striking more cleanly with his quick jabs and leg kicks. And towards the end of the round, Smith’s kick hit Crute’s peroneal nerve thereby rendering his left leg numb.

The fight was waved off after the end of round 1 and Smith won by TKO (doctor stoppage).

The tough young Crute who was still willing to continue had no other option but to take an L. He even executed a takedown in the first round with a dead leg. It looked like both the fighters were ‘Lionheart’ that night.

Crute addressed this in a recent interview with Submission Radio. He was asked what exactly was the damage inflicted on his leg and if he needed a surgery.

Crute replied:

“So the peroneal nerve just gets better by itself. I feel like I have done ligament damage. I gotta get it scanned, can’t get it scanned until I get out of the hotel due to quarantine.”

Jimmy Crute on how he felt when he was hit with the leg kick

In the same interview, Crute revealed that his leg had gone numb once Anthony Smith’s powerful leg kick connected.

The Aussie revealed that he literally couldn’t feel his leg, but believed that the feeling would be back very soon.

Anthony Smith and Jimmy Crute embrace after their fight at UFC 261.

Crute then explained that just 20 seconds after the fight was called off the numbness in his leg went away, and the pain set in. Assuring that it wasn’t painful, Crute felt that he had damaged his ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament).

Crute is just 25 and still has a long way to go in his MMA career. Hopefully, he returns with a bang, soon.