Fight Odds
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ODDS: Crute (-170), Hill (+150)
The UFC’s light heavyweight division is actually gathering some interesting talent, and two of those top prospects square off in this clash. Crute seemed set up to be overhyped given how set up he was for success in his fight on Dana White’s Contender Series. The Australian’s appearance was part of a deal with a UFC sponsor, and “The Brute” was matched against an opponent coming off of a loss to Matt Hamill. However, Crute impressed in that bout and has done surprisingly well in his UFC career thus far, showing off a well-rounded game backed by durability and aggression that has led him to a bunch of wins, including those over tricky opponents like Paul Craig, Sam Alvey and Michal Oleksiejczuk. Crute now finds himself on the rebound following a disappointing loss to Anthony Smith in April, albeit one with understandable circumstances. Crute was doing well enough until a leg injury forced the fight to be called off in between rounds. There are some concerns about Crute’s upside as a title contender due to a lack of elite athleticism, but the Smith loss should be a temporary setback; and with the division itself in flux, Crute still may find himself in title contention once all is said and done.
Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC, PFL, Dana White’s Contender Series and “The Ultimate Fighter” live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.
In the other corner stands Hill, who is also looking to bounce back from an injury loss that halted some of his momentum. “Sweet Dreams” is mostly just a range striker at this point, but that was enough for him to ride an undefeated 2020 campaign inside the Octagon. After an impressive debut over Darko Stosic, Hill quickly finished Klidson Abreu—the result was later overturned to a no contest—before getting a breakout win over Ovince St. Preux to finish out the year. A June encounter with Craig figured to be a huge chance for Hill, but it quickly became the Scotsman’s type of fight, as he tangled up Hill on the mat and caused a gnarly arm injury that led to a first-round stoppage. As a result, there are still a lot of questions about Hill against more well-rounded opposition. He is quickly becoming a more potent striker who no longer needs to build over the course of three rounds, but Craig was also the first opponent who could fight outside of Hill’s terms and quickly got the win as a result. That leads to a relatively simple dynamic here, with Hill having the advantage on the feet but Crute being able to take over whenever he chooses to draw the action to the mat. The Smith fight that Crute can hang out on the feet a bit too much against a longer opponent, but the Aussie also immediately pivoted to his wrestling at the first sign of the situation going south. Unless Hill gets the knockout—possible but less likely due to the former Hex Fight Series champion’s historical durability—Crute should eventually get his wrestling game going and find a finish as a result. The pick is Crute via second-round stoppage.
Continue Reading » Allen vs. Curtis
Light Heavyweights
#13 LHW | Jimmy Crute (12-2, 4-2 UFC) vs. #14 LHW | Jamahal Hill (8-1, 2-1 UFC)Advertisement
The UFC’s light heavyweight division is actually gathering some interesting talent, and two of those top prospects square off in this clash. Crute seemed set up to be overhyped given how set up he was for success in his fight on Dana White’s Contender Series. The Australian’s appearance was part of a deal with a UFC sponsor, and “The Brute” was matched against an opponent coming off of a loss to Matt Hamill. However, Crute impressed in that bout and has done surprisingly well in his UFC career thus far, showing off a well-rounded game backed by durability and aggression that has led him to a bunch of wins, including those over tricky opponents like Paul Craig, Sam Alvey and Michal Oleksiejczuk. Crute now finds himself on the rebound following a disappointing loss to Anthony Smith in April, albeit one with understandable circumstances. Crute was doing well enough until a leg injury forced the fight to be called off in between rounds. There are some concerns about Crute’s upside as a title contender due to a lack of elite athleticism, but the Smith loss should be a temporary setback; and with the division itself in flux, Crute still may find himself in title contention once all is said and done.
Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC, PFL, Dana White’s Contender Series and “The Ultimate Fighter” live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.
In the other corner stands Hill, who is also looking to bounce back from an injury loss that halted some of his momentum. “Sweet Dreams” is mostly just a range striker at this point, but that was enough for him to ride an undefeated 2020 campaign inside the Octagon. After an impressive debut over Darko Stosic, Hill quickly finished Klidson Abreu—the result was later overturned to a no contest—before getting a breakout win over Ovince St. Preux to finish out the year. A June encounter with Craig figured to be a huge chance for Hill, but it quickly became the Scotsman’s type of fight, as he tangled up Hill on the mat and caused a gnarly arm injury that led to a first-round stoppage. As a result, there are still a lot of questions about Hill against more well-rounded opposition. He is quickly becoming a more potent striker who no longer needs to build over the course of three rounds, but Craig was also the first opponent who could fight outside of Hill’s terms and quickly got the win as a result. That leads to a relatively simple dynamic here, with Hill having the advantage on the feet but Crute being able to take over whenever he chooses to draw the action to the mat. The Smith fight that Crute can hang out on the feet a bit too much against a longer opponent, but the Aussie also immediately pivoted to his wrestling at the first sign of the situation going south. Unless Hill gets the knockout—possible but less likely due to the former Hex Fight Series champion’s historical durability—Crute should eventually get his wrestling game going and find a finish as a result. The pick is Crute via second-round stoppage.
Continue Reading » Allen vs. Curtis
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