Jimmy Crute vs Marcin Prachnio at UFC 318 | Preview & Prediction
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An intriguing light heavyweight showdown pits Jimmy Crute against Marcin Prachnio during the back end of UFC 318’s early prelims.
Jimmy Crute vs Marcin Prachnio facts
What time are Jimmy Crute and Marcin Prachnio expected to walk out?
Where is UFC 318? Smoothie king Center, New Orleans, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC 318? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC 318
What TV channel is UFC 318 on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN
Where can I stream UFC 318? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC 318 main card
Max Holloway vs Dustin Poirier (Lightweight)
Paulo Costa vs Roman Kopylov (Middleweight)
Kevin Holland vs Daniel Rodriguez (Welterweight)
Dan Ige vs Patrício Pitbull (Featherweight)
Michael Johnson vs Daniel Zellhuber (Lightweight)
UFC 318 prelims
Kyler Phillips vs Vinicius Oliveira (Bantamweight)
Marvin Vettori vs Brendan Allen (Middleweight)
Francisco Prado vs Nikolay Veretennikov (Welterweight)
Ateba Abega Gautier vs Robert Valentin (Middleweight)
Adam Fugitt vs Islam Dulatov (Welterweight)
Jimmy Crute vs Marcin Prachnio (Light Heavyweight)
Ryan Spann vs Lukasz Brzeski (Heavyweight)
Brunno Ferreira vs Jackson McVey (Middleweight)
Carli Judice vs Nicolle Caliari (Women’s Flyweight)
Jimmy Crute: “The Brute” aims for his first win since 2020.
A slick grappler once touted as a major prospect at 205 pounds, Jimmy Crute (12-4-2) boasts finishes over Modestas Bukauskas and Paul Craig, but has fallen on tough times as of late. The Australian bruiser’s record stands at just 0-3-2 across his last 5 fights, a stretch that even saw him temporarily enter self-imposed semi-retirement. Crute’s return saw him take on Rodolfo Bellato at UFC 312 following a two-year hiatus, fighting to an entertaining draw that saw “The Brute” start strongly, only to surrender his lead in the later rounds.
Marcin Prachnio: A perennial fringe contender looking to make a statement.
From the highs of a decision win over Khalil Rountree Jr. to the lows of a TKO defeat to current divisional kingpin, Magomed Ankalaev, Marcin Prachnio (17-8) has been a UFC staple at light heavyweight since 2018. A rangy volume striker, the Pole typically wins by peppering his opponents at distance. However, his limited durability and power means that many fighters simply march through his offense to score stoppage victories; Modestas Bukauskas most recently ate a clean head kick from Prachnio at close range en route to submitting him with an arm-triangle choke at UFC 304.
Jimmy Crute vs Marcin Prachnio prediction
In many respects, it is somewhat remarkable that the bookmakers have Crute pegged as such a large favorite here, given his current winless run of form.
However, while the Australian’s last victory may have been a 2020 KO win over the aforementioned Bukauskas, Prachnio’s most recent defeat also came against “The Baltic Gladiator.” MMA math is notoriously unreliable and Bukauskas is vastly improved, but it is hard to discount the contrast in the pair’s performances against him. Furthermore, Prachnio was finished by Sam Alvey, another mutual opponent who Crute bulldozed in less than a round.
The Pole’s penchant for stoppage losses also bodes ill for him here. With 9 finishes split almost equally between knockouts and submissions, “The Brute” is capable of ending this fight wherever it goes. Moreover, the DWCS alum has only ever lost by stoppage; another concern for Prachnio, given his lack of finishing ability.
Crute’s poor cardio in his previous showing means that Prachnio could potentially outlast him to a decision victory, but the more likely outcome is that the Aussie eventually takes advantage of his foe’s subpar takedown defense, twisting him into a pretzel on the mat for the submission.
Prediction: Jimmy Crute wins by stoppage
