“My life’s work paying off. Don’t get me wrong, this is just the beginning, though,” said Jimmy Crute as he revealed his ambitions for UFC. However, the fighter has been having a hard time under the Dana White-led promotion. ‘The Brute’ has been marred by losing streaks, but that doesn’t mean that he’s done yet. With a career record of 12 victories, 4 defeats, and 1 draw, The Dana White’s Contender Series alum is determined to change his misfortune, and his teammates are supporting him in achieving that.

Looking to turn his bad luck into good fortune, Australian fighter Jimmy Crute aims to make his presence known at UFC 312 against Rodolfo Bellato. His three-fight losing streak has been a blemish on his career, but he plans to return to the win column at UFC 312. Ahead of his clash, let’s take a look at his gyms and training partners.

Where does Jimmy Crute Train?

Jimmy Crute used to train under the tutelage of former K-1 fighter, professional wrestler, and actor Sam Greco at the Greco and Stewie’s House. For those unfamiliar, Greco is the 1994 Karate World Cup champion and holds notable kickboxing victories over Branko Cikatić, Ernesto Hoost, Mike Bernardo, Stefan Leko, and Ray Sefo. He also secured MMA wins against Heath Herring and Shungo Oyama. Greco is one of the few Australian fighters who have had a professional career in acting as well.

However, as his game evolved with time and specifically due to his UFC career, Crute had to part ways with his old coaches to train under new management. After saying his goodbyes to Sam Greco and Dan Kelly, the Australian fighter then trained under the tutelage of Combat 1 which is an MMA gym back in Melbourne. In addition to that he spent some time in Thailand to sharpen his Muay Thai skills.

So, how did his little endeavor at the Combat 1 gym work out for him? To sum it up in a single word—disastrous. Crute faced Alonzo Menifield for the second time under the tutelage of his new team. However, unlike their previous encounter, which was a closely contested battle, Crute was submitted by Menifield via guillotine choke in the second round. After the defeat, ‘The Brute’ understood that Greco’s guidance was necessary for him to get past his opponents in UFC, and guess what? He got back Greco and his long-time BJJ coach Stewie Moulden to coach and corner him for his UFC 312 fight.

While having a conversation in the Who The Fook Are These Guys podcast, Jimmy Crute spoke on getting his previous coaches to help him prepare, “I have so much respect for what he’s done in his career, but who he is as a man. And I really like that. Now that I think I have matured a little bit, I see life from a whole different perspective. Now, I see Sam for what he is and who he is. I am so lucky to come up underneath him,” said Crute.

Being back where you originally belonged is a different feeling, however, you might be surprised that Jimmy Crute likes to sleep outside of his gym in a van. Why is that? Well, let us find out more about it.

UFC star forced to sleep in a van outside gym

While speaking to the media at UFC Fight Island 6, the UFC fighter was asked questions about his fights. However, one particular question caught the attention of the MMA community—the fact that he lives in a van and sleeps outside his gym. “I decked out, uh, I’m a van life enthusiast,” said the UFC star.

The reporter further asked the fighter what inspired him to live in a minivan, to which the fighter stated, “I did it before COVID, so COVID hasn’t really done much for me. Man, I just hate paying bills. I hate paying rent. It’s something I wanted to do even before I got signed or anything. I just liked the idea of van life. Then, you know, I was able to buy a van, and I pretty much decked it all out myself. I’ve put in running water, solar power—yeah, I’ve done everything myself. It’s just a little project I have.”

It is quite hard to go against the tide and live your life on your own terms but Jimmy Crute doesn’t care about what the normal folks think about him. Given that, what’s your take on his career till now? Do you think he will change his misfortune in his upcoming match? State your thoughts in the comments below.