Athletes
Anthony Wint Has Arrived
Contender Series Grad Talks Quick Turnaround, Influence Of Those Around Him
“I told Dana he’s got two options: the 15th or the 22nd. I’m not going home. Either they find me a fight, or I stay at Dana’s house. It’s two options.”
That’s what Anthony Wint told Laura Sanko following his 34-second stoppage win over Matt Adams to close out the first week of Season 10 of Dana White’s Contender Series. While a quick trip to Philadelphia didn’t materialize, an opportunity to open this weekend’s main card in Sacramento did, and the undefeated heavyweight prospect will step into the Octagon with fellow newcomer Terrance Chatman at Golden 1 Center on Saturday.
“At the end of the day, I know my capabilities, I know what I could do, and frankly, I knew what my opponent could do,” Wint said. “I knew that (Adams) had maybe a minute to survive in the cage with me… I know the heavyweight division. I know maybe they weren’t gonna be able to find someone on that short notice, and if the UFC likes you, they’ll sign a guy off the streets. Now, Terrance Chatman isn’t a guy off the streets. He’s a very capable guy. I know him from Fury (FC). He has heavy hands, he’s actually pretty patient as a fighter, but I think my skill set is just too much for him.
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“At the end of the day, I quit my job a month ago pursuing this, and I’m not broke, but we need some money,” Wint added with a smirk. “I ain’t got no kids, I ain’t got no wife, but I can’t get those things in unless I start to flourish when it comes to our finances, so I’m here trying to make it happen.”
The 7-0 former NFL linebacker isn’t the first Contender Series graduate to make a rapid turnaround and jump right into the fray. Last year, Baisangur Susurkaev fought four days after earning his place on the roster. Next weekend, fellow Week 1 winner Bilal Hasan will follow Wint’s lead by debuting in Shanghai. It’s an opportunity afforded to those that show tremendous promise, plus the UFC brass love when someone exhibits that kind of confidence. Eleven days after joining the roster, the 30-year-old will cross the threshold into the Octagon for the first time.
“I’m happy, man,” offered Wint. “I think the UFC thinks a lot of me, but at the end of the day, what I was taught from football, what I carry from football is that every day is an interview. You could be the No. 1 draft pick one day and sitting on the bench the next… They like me right now, and we gotta continue to make them like me by producing, getting guys out of there in the first round, and hopefully, four or five fights from now, we’ll be looking at a couple more zeroes.”
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In addition to being a tremendous athlete, Wint’s upside is bolstered by the fact that he trains at Kill Cliff FC in South Florida, a gym that has produced world champions and title contenders and also features an outstanding collection of coaches and veterans that can help shepherd a young fighter like Wint through these early UFC experiences.
Additionally, being in a room like that makes feeling comfortable a little easier as there aren’t the same “Oh My God!” moments that happen for athletes from smaller gyms that run into fighters they’ve watched on their way up.
“I’m not as starstruck because I train with some high-level guys,” Wint said. “It’s not as if I see Kamaru Usman and ‘Oh! That’s Kamaru Usman!’ or I see Gregory Rodrigues and ‘Oh! That’s Gregory Rodrigues!’ It’s like I’m back in the gym and there are cameras around.
“I think you are who you hang around. Obviously, Robbie Lawler is a champion, but not only is he a champion, but he’s a dog! Dietter (Navarro) is a boxing mastermind — he knows boxing in and out, knows MMA better than any coach, I think — and then Impa Kasanganay is I think the reason I’m so comfortable being here. Not because he’s been so high, but because he’s been so low.”
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Kasanganay has been through a similar experience Wint is navigating right now, earning a contract following his win over Anthony Adams on Season 4 of DWCS. He made four appearances inside the Octagon, alternating results, and was released following the completion of his contract. Since then, the 32-year-old has gone 11-5 splitting time between middleweight and light heavyweight, losing only to top competitors.
“People quote The Bible all the time and say, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,’ but they don’t read the verses before,” began Wint. “’I can be brought high; I can be brought low. I can be rich and I can be poor. I can be weak and I can be strong.’ People look at being in the UFC, being a world champion as ‘I’m gonna climb this mountain and be the best in the world,’ but what happens when you fall? What happens when you lose? What happens when you get hit in the mouth? … Impa knows that better than anybody. You know his knockout with Joaquin Buckley — the whole world sat back and was like, ‘What was that!?’ and he was on the bad end of that. Just to be able to be around that dude, see the spirit that he has, see the joy that he still has.
“I think the biggest fear of anybody is not trying to achieve, it’s not being all you can be — it’s trying to do it and failing,” he added. “I’m not afraid to fail. I’m not afraid to lose. I’m not afraid to get knocked out. I’m not afraid to be great because I knew I was great before I ever stepped into the UFC, so that’s the confidence my team gives me and we’re building something amazing; not just at Kill Cliff, but within my inner circle as well.”
As physically talented as Wint is and despite having nothing but success so far in his career, the heavyweight prospect doesn’t speak about his debut clash with Chatman as a fait accompli, drawing from his football experience and understanding to recognize that every trip into the Octagon is a potential trap game.
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That being said, Wint is eager to stand opposite the Houston-based heavyweight and put himself to the test this weekend.
“I’m gonna walk into that Octagon, I’m gonna glorify God with whatever worship I walk out to, and regardless of whether I win or lose, I’m gonna give God all the glory,” Wint said. “My goal is to get Terrance Chatman outta there. I don’t wanna go three rounds with him. I don’t wanna go two rounds with him… I think my skill is too good, but I do believe he is the best fighter I have faced so far, and he is a dog. I can see it in his eyes, we’ll probably see it (at the weigh-in), but I’m gonna break him down schematically, I’m gonna make him fight where he doesn’t want to fight, and I’m gonna bring the fight to him and see how badly he wants to fight.
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“I’m happy to open the (main) card, and I think it’s gonna be a great show because not only am I gonna knock him out, but my guy Gregory got power in his hands too, man,” he added, shouting out his teammate who headlines opposite local-favorite Anthony Hernandez. “We gonna get dinner somewhere, cheer it up, and have a great night. I think the fans are in for a good show.”
UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs Rodrigues took place live from Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California on August 22, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!