Preview: UFC 318 Prelims

Light Heavyweights

Jimmy Crute (12-4-2, 4-4-2 UFC) vs. Marcin Prachnio (17-8, 4-6 UFC)

BETTING ODDS: Crute (-250), Prachnio (+205)

Two flawed light heavyweights should combine for some violence here. Crute had some steam as a top light heavyweight prospect about half a decade ago. The Australian didn’t look like the level of athlete to reach the absolute highest heights at 205 pounds, but he seemed aggressive and durable enough to run through a lot of the division’s lesser competitors. Given his inexperience, he did well to navigate opponents like Paul Craig and Sam Alvey, who might be one-dimensional threats but have made careers out of tricking less mindful counterparts. Crute seemed ready for a push up the ladder in 2021, but things have gone sideways since, as “The Brute” is now looking for his first win since 2020. With Crute hitting some adversity, his aggression has only gone more and more unchecked, repeatedly walking him into danger and the occasional finish. While Crute is winless since 2020, his five fights since then include two draws that showed he can pour on success in stretches, only to get shellacked in the rest of those fights.



Crute looks for a much-needed victory against Prachnio, who has been dealing with the opposite problem, as the Pole has taken a lot of aggression out of his game over the last few years. That’s probably for the best, as the start of Prachnio’s UFC career saw him walk into a lot of knockout losses, forcing him to lean into his karate background and pick apart opponents from range while prioritizing safety. Prachnio still gets tracked down and finished about half the time, but he has been able to put together enough ugly and slow-paced wins to keep his head above water in the UFC. Crute is straightforward enough that Prachnio could effectively play matador for three rounds, but it seems likelier that sheer violence and aggression works in the Aussie’s favor at some point during this fight. The pick is Crute via second-round knockout.

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