UFC Auckland: Jim Crute Outlines Why He’s The “#1 Prospect” at 205, Following Impressive Win

Jim Crute got back on track in impressive fashion at UFC Auckland on Saturday, and afterward, the 23-year-old made his case for why he’s the 205 division’s top prospect.

Crute says he’s the top prospect at light-heavyweight

The Australian fighter faced Poland’s Michael Oleksiejczuk in the card’s co-main event, who is also, a rising force in the 205 division. Leading into the bout, however, both Crute and Oleksiejczuk were coming off losses.

Crute (11-1) was handed his first defeat to date in September, when he was submitted by Misha Cirkunov. The 25-year-old Oleksiejczuk, meanwhile, was coming off a submission loss to Ovince Saint Preux that same month, which snapped his 12 fight, undefeated streak.

Well, Crute came heavy with his wrestling in the contest, and a few minutes into the bout he tapped Oleksiejczuk with a nasty, looking kimura. Following the impressive and pivotal win, Crute had this to say about his prospect status (quotes via MMA Junkie):

“I see myself as the No. 1 prospect. There’s a few other really good guys that are laying claim to that, so we’ll sort that out,” Crute said. “… The biggest thing for me is to keep doing what I’m doing. Keep a level head.

“It’s always mental for me. Just being able to switch on mentally. Sometimes, I switch on too much. I just need to find a happy medium. I can kickbox with the best. I can wrestle with the best. I can grapple with the best. The thing that lets me down is sometimes I think too much. … I think when I perfect the mindset is the day.”

Is Crute the top prospect in the UFCs 205 division? He very well might be. After all, he’s several years younger than Aleksandar Rakic and Johnny Walker, who are also widely regarded to be top prospects in the bracket.

Crute comments on his win

After the win, Crute had this to say about his performance and the fact there was a lot riding on the fight:

“I was super happy,” Crute said on the ESPN+ post-fight show. “I was just happy to be able to stick to the gameplan. My last fight, I obviously didn’t. So it was nice to just go out there and show that I can keep a level head under pressure. …

“I just try to do to him what Misha (Cirkunov) was able to do to me. I had a little more success in my loss, but the pressure that was put on me was what made me want to go in. That’s why I took that and tried to utilize that…”

Understandable comments here. Now it will be interesting to see who Crute faces next and whether he gets a top 15 ranked opponent. Don’t be surprised if he does.