Anthony Wint will try to earn a UFC contract on Dana White's Contender Series in August when the former NFL linebacker meets Matt Adams on Aug. 11 at Meta Apex in Las Vegas.
Wint, 30, told he feels like he is arriving at a point in his career where preparation and timing are finally meeting. The 6-0 heavyweight has finished five of his six MMA appearances and has won four fights by knockout, giving him a strong case to make before UFC CEO Dana White on a night built for prospects who can seize a moment.
For Wint, the opportunity is the next step in a run that has moved quickly since he made his amateur MMA debut in 2021. He won a heavyweight title on the regional scene in Fury FC in March, adding another marker to a transition that began after a brief stint with the New York Jets in 2018. Before that, he played at Florida International University and entered the Jets organization as an undrafted free agent.
The matchup lands at a time when the UFC's heavyweight division has room for new faces because of a relative lack of depth. The No. 15-ranked heavyweight, Brando Peričić, is 7-1, a reminder that the division's upper tier remains thin enough for a fast-rising 6-0 fighter to draw a real look if he performs well.
Wint said he is grateful for the opportunity and believes he is only beginning to tap into what he can become. He described years spent developing as a fighter and as a man mentally, spiritually and professionally, and said he respects everyone in the sport while believing he is built for the highest level. He added that the goal is not just to win fights but to leave a mark, and that some people may prefer going straight to the UFC, but he likes the chance to perform in front of White and earn it. His plan, he said, is to walk in and become an overnight star.
The question now is whether he can turn a strong regional record and a brief football past into the kind of finish that makes Contender Series footage travel fast. On Aug. 11, Wint gets the chance to do it in one night.
