Jimmy Crute Sends Classy Shout-Out Message To Aussie And New Zealand Troops After UFC Defeat

Jimmy Crute's light heavyweight title charge was dealt a cruel blow after he suffered a devastating leg injury in the very first round of his bout against Anthony Smith at UFC 261.

It was an important fight for Crute, knowing that a big win against a former number one contender would catapult him up the UFC rankings.

But it ended very prematurely when the his leg buckled after copping a rather innocuous kick from Smith.

The fight was subsequently waved off before the second round could begin and Smith was handed the victory - much to Crute's disappointment.

But despite all this, the Aussie still mustered up the courage to go ahead with his post-fight interview inside the octagon with commentator Joe Rogan.

And on top of that, the interview itself proved to be a special one with Crute taking the time to give a special shout-out to the Australian and New Zealand troops on Anzac Day.

"Back home in Australia it's Anzac Day, which is the equivalent to Veteran's Day here," he said.

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"I just want to give a massive shout-out. What we do here, would not be possible if not for the fallen troops.

"I might have lost today, but they lost their lives back then."

Classy stuff from the 25-year-old, who undoubtedly has a very bright future in the UFC.

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As for the injury to his leg, Crute admitted he was planning on taking the fight to the ground in the second round to avoid even standing on it.

"He was jabbing my face off way too much, I was letting him off," he added.

"I couldn't feel my leg. In the second round, I was just going to come out and pull guard because I couldn't stand on my leg."

When the dust finally settled after an action-packed UFC 261 event, fight fans immediately called for Crute to get a rematch against Smith.

The great man himself took to social media to share his thoughts on the fight and, if truth be told, he seemed absolutely heart-broken.

"I would have rather gone out on my shield," he said in an Instagram post.

"Anyone that knows me knows I would have fought on. I've fought with one leg before and would have done it again.

"This sport has the highest of highs and the lowest of lows and I don't even know if it's worth it sometimes that's something I need to think about. Thank you for the messages of support. I wish I could reply to everyone. Just know that I'm fine just gutted."

Topics: joe rogan, MMA News, Injury news, Anthony Smith, UFC, Australia, MMA

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry