Take a glance at Anthony Wint, and his physical abilities are obvious.
Though he stands at 5-foot-11, Wint (6-0) is one of the top heavyweight prospects in North America – a breath of fresh air across a barren heavyweight landscape. Sometimes, looks are deceiving. In Wint’s case, they aren’t. He’s a beast. He has power, speed, and athleticism, particularly for his size.
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But looks never tell the whole picture. Some folks might look at Wint and think he was born that way – that natural abilities carried him to a standout collegiate football career, and then further into becoming a New York Jets linebacker. In reality, it was hard work and a refusal to quit.
“I sucked, I want to say until I was about 10 years old,” Wint laughed, as he spoke to MMA Junkie about his early days in football. “I got a little better and ended up playing in high school. I played in college, started four years in college. Then, you know, I slipped my way into the NFL.”
Slipping his way to the NFL is putting it modestly. Wint’s entire football career was built on a foundation of hard work, scratching and clawing. Born and raised in Belle Glade, Fla., Wint played football and wrestled in high school.
When it came time to commit to a college, Wint chose to stay local, committing to Florida International University (FIU) over other schools that had made offers, including Syracuse and Coastal Carolina. Over the span of four years at FIU, he was a three-time second-team all-conference USA and registered the second most career tackles in school history (336).
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After he graduated, NFL draft night came and went in 2018. Wint was not selected – but he was unwilling to give up. In May 2018, the New York Jets signed Wint after his performance in the team’s rookie minicamp.
“If I had a percentage on it, it’s probably like 10 percent you’re gonna make the team if you come in that direction,” Wint said. ” But man, I put my faith in God.”
Wint was one of the final cuts of training camp, but still refused to be deterred. Months later, the team added him to the practice squad. A few weeks after that, Wint was activated to replace an injured Brandon Shell. He debuted against the Green Bay Packers, and not only that, he forced a fumble. Wint would play in one more game – the final of his professional football career.
He was waived by the Jets at the end of the season. Wint signed on with the Canadian Football League’s Hamilton-Tiger Cats, but he never played a game. COVID-19 hit, and Wint decided it was time to move on, in part due to some convincing from then NFL football agent Malki Kawa.
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“I realized like playing in the NFL – and I don’t want to say it like this – but it’s not as hard as you think it is,” Wint said. “Making the team is hard, just like fighting is. It’s how you take advantage of your opportunities. If you’re not drafted high, it’s like, ‘We didn’t invest any money in you, we’re gonna stick with the guy we invest the money in.’ But a lot of people can play. People just don’t get the opportunity to play. I was just blessed to be one of those guys who got an opportunity to play. Now I know I could have played. I just didn’t play as long as I wanted to.”
Wint’s pivot from football to MMA didn’t mark the start and end of separate journeys; it signified a continuation of one. Football taught him that remaining humble is the recipe for success – something he hopes takes him to even greater heights in MMA.
“I wasn’t a passionate football player,” Wint said. “I think what I loved is competing. I like being able to put everything on the table and doing something that somebody says I can’t do. Then obviously going against another man, which fighting is the ultimate version of, is what I like. But I didn’t grow up dreaming about being in the NFL. I grew up in a household where I was the only male. My mom and my sisters don’t care about football. The conversation was always, ‘Hey, did you have fun?’ And that was pretty much it. Getting a scholarship was I was a cherry on top. That was just extra. I was I’ll be the first person in my family to graduate from college. Then playing NFL was like, ‘Hey, we really did it. But it wasn’t something where I missed the money. I miss being able to compete. But once I was out, the best way I could put it, it was like, this girl that I didn’t want to be in a relationship with.”
Football’s loss is MMA’s gain. Across a desolate global heavyweight landscape, Wint might be the heavyweight prospect fans have been looking for. Initially at MMA Masters, Wint more recently moved to Kill Cliff FC. He’s crafted his skills to the point he dominantly obtained Fury FC gold in March, with a 37-second knockout of Jamahl Tatum (6-3).
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“I definitely picked it up quicker than I expected,” Wint said. “Wrestling has always been my bread and butter. I started football at 6 or 7. I started wrestling at 9. We use the word ‘love.’ I always loved wrestling more just because of the camaraderie. I think it’s a little bit more pure. Football, you get all types of egos, everybody plays different positions. There’s different variables that come into play. Wrestling is an individual sport. What you put in is what you get out. Everybody’s doing the same thing. If I’m a 220-pounder, the heavyweight on the team, the 106-pounder, or the 120-pounder is doing the same thing. Is it at the same capacity, or do we have the same skills? No, but there’s a lack of ego because we’re all one unit, even though we’re all individuals.”
Wint will have a chance to prove himself to the UFC brass – and the world – on the Aug. 11 season premiere of Dana White’s Contender Series when he battles Matt Jones (6-2). Wint feels confident that bigger things will continue to come his way, particularly as he sharpens his tools with the likes of Henri Hooft, Robbie Lawler, and Impa Kasanganay.
“At the end of the day, I think God has anointed me to be in this place and to be a world champion,” Wint said. “So I think it’s about not being stupid for the most part and taking dumb fights. The UFC likes to hit the iron while it’s hot. … I think the UFC is more often kind of bumping guys up faster than they have in the past. So you get a good win, and your name gets hot and people start watching and they look at the engagement, they’re gonna wanna boost you. So I think more than anything, if I do what I know I can do, it’s gonna have the humility to know, ‘Hey, can you take this fight right now or can you not take this fight right now?’ So, I feel good about my performances. It’s more so about having the discernment and the insight to know what fights to take and what not to take and I feel confident in my team.”
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This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Scratch and claw: Ex-NFLer may be exactly the heavyweight prospect the UFC is looking for
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