Jimmy Crute is the former Hex series Light Heavyweight champion and a current UFC Light Heavyweight from Bendigo, Melbourne. AirAsia started working with Jimmy as part of the wider partnership with the UFC, after having conversations with their team on increasing the number of Asian and Australian fighters on their roster to aid with the connection and sentiment of both audiences.
This particular opportunity arose in the buildup to the UFC Contender Series, a show created by the UFC to help scout talent from America and the rest of the world. Jimmy was the first ever Australian to be invited to take part in this show and AirAsia helped fund and support his journey for a coveted UFC contract - a contract he eventually gained after his win on the show.
Working with Jimmy was great for the brand as both shared the #DareToDream story, with Jimmy's story being a true example of achieving your dreams through hard work and dedication.
Prior to Jimmy heading to Las Vegas for his Contender Series fight, this profile video was created to introduce him to UFC, and AirAsia, fans alike. The main objective was to capture his personality and humble beginnings, but also to show that the AirAsia brand story and Jimmy's story run in parallel.
This video featured on the AirAsia social channels as well as the UFC Fight Pass.
After a few wins in the UFC, and building on the existing partnership, a travel/fight series was developed to build on Jimmy's successes whilst at the same time, building his profile across the region.
The series, called 'Outside the Octagon', saw Jimmy travelling to 3 destinations in APAC in mid/late 2019, exploring the fight culture within those cities. With the help of a number of industry standouts (e.g. MMA legend Enson Inoue in Tokyo and the Hickman brothers in Phuket) this series helped strengthen AirAsia's association with not only the UFC, but with the wider MMA community as a whole.
Clips will be shared upon publication from the AirAsia content team.
Snapshot of the documentary team in Tokyo, Japan
Snapshot of the documentary team in Phuket, Thailand
