Jim Crute had a “gut feeling” his camp for UFC 234 was about to be turned upside down.

And before the phone call had even come through, Crute knew his maiden fight on home soil was in jeopardy.

“I was talking to my old man and a few of my training partners and I said ‘I don’t know why, but I’ll be fighting someone else’,” Crute, 22, revealed.

“Two weeks later I get a phone call from (coach) Sam (Greco) and he said ‘do you want the good news or the bad news’ and I said ‘Ryan Spann pulled out’.

“He said ‘how’d you know?’ I said ‘I had a feeling’.”

But the disappointment quickly subsided for the Melbourne-based, Bendigo-raised light heavyweight when the UFC secured a new opponent, American Sam Alvey.

“He’s a bigger name,” Crute said.

“Everyone has a risk in this division, you can’t have an easy fight, but there is risk and reward.

“Sam has the same risk as anyone, but the reward for beating him is much higher than beating Ryan Spann.”

American Spann suffered a broken hand in training and was forced to withdraw.

Alvey (31-11-0-1NC) stepped in with 15 days until the fight on February 10 at Rod Laver Arena.

“I got three names and I just went with the biggest and best fighter I could,” Crute (9-0) said.

“The other two were more unknown and I’m not here to take the easy route.

“I’m going through the hardest guys from the get go.

“He’s got really good power and he’s a great power puncher and counter puncher.”

Alvey is a dangerous customer, winning seven of his last 10 bouts, but Crute is adamant he is not concerned by the latest turn of events.

“The only thing that changes is I have to move to my left and throw my punches three inches lower,” Crute said.

“They’re both dangerous. I couldn’t afford to make a mistake with Ryan Spann and I can’t afford to make a mistake with Sam Alvey, so it doesn’t matter.”