Jimmy Crute announces he is out for year due to knee reconstruction surgery

Jimmy Crute will be out of action until 2023.

The UFC light heavyweight announced this week via Instagram that he will not be competing this year as he is soon to undergo knee reconstruction surgery for an injured leg. Crute, 25, did not indicate which knee would be worked on, though he suffered a notable injury to his left leg in a fight against Anthony Smith at UFC 261 in April of last year.

Crute wrote that he is concerned that his injury could be “career-ending” if left unaddressed.

Read Crute’s unedited statement here:

Absolutely gutted to announce that I will be out for the rest of the year. I need a knee reco. I have been putting this off for years but I have sustained too much damage over the last few fights and it has finally come to the point that if I don’t get it fixed it could turn into a career ending injury. I am obviously very disappointed but at the same time a challenge like this is also exciting. It gives me 9+ months to work on other aspects of training and life and come back 100% refreshed and injury free. Thank you all for the continued support. I’m not going anywhere and the Bendigo express is still in full motion.

Crute did not provide a firm timetable for his return, only estimating, “I will be out for the rest of the year.”

Though Crute was injured in the Smith fight, he returned to the octagon eight months later to fight Jamahal Hill. That bout ended in another loss for Crute as he was finished by strikes in just 48 seconds. Crute’s UFC record fell to 4-3.