Former New York Jets linebacker Anthony Wint will be making his UFC debut this weekend, just 11 days after he won a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series. He will be facing fellow newcomer Terrance Chatman in a heavyweight bout on the preliminary card this Saturday at UFC Fight Night 285 in Sacramento, California.

The undefeated former NFL player has experience as an athlete at the highest level of professional sports, and his eagerness to compete in the most elite MMA promotion shortly after winning his contract is evidence that he is not shy of a challenge. 

“I said, ‘We’re making our call to be on the Islam card (UFC 330), and if they say no to that, they better put me on Sacramento because I’m not going home,’” Wint said in an interview with Fighters Only:

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NFL Career

Wint’s transition from the gridiron to the Octagon has been rapid, with his athletic background as a key asset. 

The Florida International University alum signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2018 and appeared in two games before being waived the following summer. 

In an interview with NFL.com after his Contender’s Series fight, he described the shift in focus from team sports to individual combat as a breeze.

“I played football my whole life. Not only football, linebacker. So I was used to lining up against 11 people, having 11 people against me and then dissecting a whole play in 40 seconds,” he stated.

He added, “Now I just gotta dissect a man in three rounds.”

MMA Rise and UFC Contract

Wint only recently started his MMA career, going professional in 2023 and fighting for regional promotions like Titan FC and Fury FC. He won his first six MMA fights before being called up to fight for a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series.

His performance in front of Dana White was nothing short of dominant, finishing his opponent Matthew Adams in just 34 seconds:

That was a MAULING 😳

Anthony Wint goes to work on the ground and doesn’t even need a minute!

[ #DWCS | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/QWSxZavH5S

— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) August 12, 2026

Wint’s confidence was so high that he immediately began lobbying for a spot on the Sacramento card, a move that impressed the UFC brass.

“I love guys that wanna turn around quick and wanna fight again,” UFC CEO Dana White said during the post-fight press conference.

Wint is incredibly confident in his skills, telling Brian Campbell from Paramount+ that he intends to finish his opponent this weekend:

Wint has finished six of his seven professional wins, with his last three all ending inside 40 seconds. His opponent, Terrance Chatman, is also making his UFC debut and has secured four of his five victories by knockout. 

“Terrence Chatman is an amazing opponent. He has great coaches. He’s a big guy, has power, but if I don’t knock him out in the first round, I’m going to dissect him over the second and the third, and I do not see myself going more than three rounds,” he stated.

This matchup is expected to be a quick, explosive affair between two powerful heavyweights.

“I need a little cash in my pocket. So, it’s either Terence Chapman finishes me, or I get him up out of there within three rounds, within 900 seconds,” he concluded.