Anthony Smith the former UFC title challenger has agreed to take on Jimmy Crute, replacing an injured Johnny Walker. Crute and Smith will face off on April 24 at UFC 261, which does not yet have a confirmed location.
UFC light heavyweight Anthony Smith has agreed to take on Jimmy Crute on April 24, after Crute’s originally scheduled opponent Johnny Walker withdrew due to injury. Crute (12-1) was scheduled to face Johnny Walker on March 27, but Walker was forced to withdraw from the bout this week due to injury. Smith (34-16) immediately agreed to take Walker’s spot, and the 205-pound contest was moved to an unannounced event on April 24.
Crute labelled Anthony as a bigger and better fight for his career. The Australian is on a two-fight winning streak with his last performance a first-round knockout over Modestas Bukauskas back in October.
Crute, who fights out of Melbourne, Australia, discussed the new matchup on social media without naming Smith specifically.
“I can’t express how excited and grateful I am that a true fighter has decided to step in and fight me,” Crute wrote on Instagram. “This is a better fight, better name, and bigger challenge but I’m ready for it.
Anthony told ESPN he shares Crute’s enthusiasm for the bout and is looking forward to facing the 24-year-old talent.
“He’s a good kid and he deserves it, it’s a tough fight for sure,” Smith said.
Anthony Smith is back in the win column
Smith (34-16) is the No. 6 ranked light heavyweight in the UFC. The former UFC title challenger recently bounced back from a two-fight losing skid against Glover Teixeira and Aleksandar Rakic with an impressive submission win over Devin Clark. Overall, He is 5-3 as a UFC light heavyweight, with all five of those wins coming by stoppage. Despite having 50 professional fights, he is still just only 32 years old. So while he has been around the sport for a long time, there is a chance that he is still improving his game if we are to trust what we saw against Clark. Then again, it’s hard to ignore the two losses to Teixeira and Rakic.
Crute (12-1) is the No. 12 ranked light heavyweight in the UFC. The young Aussie has gone 4-1 so far in the UFC with notable wins over Sam Alvey and Paul Craig. He was finished by Misha Cirkunov two years ago, but since then Crute has bounced back two with more finishes. He looks like the real deal and if Crute can go in there and defeat Smith it would put him ranked in the top-10 at 205lbs.
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