UFC star Jimmy Crute has admitted he has been fighting with a torn knee ligament for two years.
The Australian star has been campaigning at light heavyweight where he last fought in a defeat against Jamahal Hill last December. Crute has suffered back-to-back losses having previously been defeated by Anthony Smith which has put a significant dent in the star's record with the promotion.
However Crute has refused to put down the ACL injury he has been carrying for two years as an excuse for his recent decline in form. "I blew my ACL four weeks before I fought him [Michal Oleksiejczuk],' the 26-year-old told 7NEWS.com.au. "So yeah, I've had four fights without an ACL [anterior cruciate ligament]. They grow back, but not 100 per cent, and I wasn't sure if it was a full rupture or had enough to grow back. So, I've been a bit compromised for the last few fights.
"[It happened during] training, I just stood out wrong on a take-down defend and it exploded. It was my right leg that had the reconstructions. Anthony just pinpointed the perfect spot on the lead leg, the kick itself affected the opposite leg. It felt really good after that [Oleksiejczuk fight], but I think the real damage came from fight after fight and training after training. I'm not blaming the losses on that, I was beaten by the better men on those nights. But I should have looked after myself a long time ago."
Crute picked up two victories against Oleksiejczuk and Modestas Bukauskas despite severely struggling with the injury throughout his preparations. However his form later declined when he came up against Smith who targeted his leg with repetitive takedowns in a defeat. He also busted Crute's peroneal nerve which left the Australian collapsed on the canvas in agony.
He was offered surgery prior to his defeat with Smith but turned it down despite now admitting he should have accepted the help. "One time I was walking along, I stepped over this bit of concrete and my freaking knee exploded [again]. I tore every single ligament in my knee, and I had fractures in my shin," Crute continued.
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"I was trying to fight the surgery and the doctor was just like, 'mate, if you don't get surgery, you're going to need a full knee replacement by the time you are thirty'. In hindsight I should have got the surgery done ages ago, but me being stubborn, I wasn't listening to the people around me. I decided to go against that [initial surgery request] and I got two wins with it, but then I lost."
Crute finally proceeded to have the surgical procedure in February and is continuing his recovery. A return seems unlikely in the near future but Crute will be looking to seek a return to training followed by an octagon comeback in 2023.
