Anthony Wint Sends Heavyweight Division a Warning After UFC 332, Plans to “hunt you down schematically”
Having played linebacker for the New York Jets, Anthony Wint knows what it takes to absorb big hits, and he has carried that toughness into MMA since making the switch in 2021.
Still unbeaten across his amateur and professional fights, Wint isn’t backing down from his heavyweight championship ambitions. For the unbeaten 31-year-old heavyweight, the past few weeks have been nothing short of a whirlwind. After winning the Fury FC title, Wint fought on DWCS in August before making his UFC debut just 11 days later, and now he is eyeing the throne held by Ciryl Gane.
Anthony Wint Delivers His Blunt Take on Heavyweight
While speaking with MMA Junkie Radio, Anthony Wint hailed Ciryl Gane for conquering the division that stands above them all. But when it comes to the heavyweight ranks, Wint believes sheer size often comes at the expense of athleticism.
"Obviously, Ciryl Gane's a heck of an athlete. You get Josh, who also came from football," Wint said. "But other than that, how many athletic heavyweights are there? Athleticism, I feel like, is the epitome of sport. The more athletic you are, the better you are. Obviously, technique comes into play, but I think I'm in a great position at 5'11", 235.”
The former NFL linebacker further explained that what is actually lacking in the heavyweight division is the ability to wrestle, as many fighters don’t really know how to wrestle. “Knowing how to wrestle, that's one of the keys where you can't easily bully me.”
Well, here, one should exercise caution, as five of his eight professional fights have ended in knockouts, giving him a 63% knockout-win rate that predominantly places him in the striker range. However, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know how to wrestle. He has been wrestling since his high school days at Homestead High School in Florida. In fact, he explicitly considers his wrestling to be one of his biggest strengths.
He trains under the guidance of Kill Cliff Fight Club, whose wrestling coach is none other than Greg Jones. For the unversed, Jones is the man who has trained fighters like Robbie Lawler, Brendan Allen, Derek Brunson, and many more.
Naturally, Wint is far from a one-dimensional fighter with such elite minds guiding his training. That said, he believes that even if the heavyweight division boasts bigger fighters, he has what it takes to defeat them.
“Weights don't win fights, but I have the mind to be able to diagnose you, and then I have the patience to be able to develop this skill to the point where I'm not just some big ball of muscle trying to knock you out. I actually have the skill to be able to dissect you and hunt you down schematically,” said Wint.
With his first big UFC fight on the horizon, he believes victory could open the door to a heavyweight title shot.
Anthony Wint Sends a Confident Message Ahead of UFC 332
Speaking with MMA Junkie Radio, the former NFL linebacker opened up about his upcoming clash with Lucas Armand, making one thing crystal clear: he isn’t looking to leave it in the judges’ hands; he’s coming for the finish.
"For me, (I want) a finish for sure – hopefully within the first round," Wint told MMA Junkie Radio. "… I don't like going to the judges. I've already decided I'm going to be a world champion, and I don't want three men deciding if I win or lose – so 900 seconds or less. If we go to the second round, we're probably going to be tired, so I'm trying to get it done as quickly as possible."
Unbeaten heavyweight Anthony Wint (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) returns Saturday against UFC debutant Lucas Armand (6-0 MMA). The bout marks Wint’s second UFC appearance, following his first-round submission of Terrance Chatman at UFC Sacramento in August, just weeks after his 34-second DWCS knockout.
