Anthony Wint explained why he isn’t in a rush to face heavyweight’s other rising stars.
On August 11, Wint lived up to high expectations by earning a UFC contract at the Apex after many expected this from the moment he was booked.
The former New York Jets player is one of several additions to the promotion’s heavyweight roster that have helped it to feel more exciting in recent times.
While the prospect of seeing Gable Steveson face off with Josh Hokit down the line is very exciting, Wint isn’t in a hurry to put himself in matchups like this.
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Anthony Wint believes the UFC should let the rising heavyweight stars build before fighting each other
A 34-second win at the Apex saw Anthony Wint earn a UFC contract and immediately turn his attention towards making his Octagon debut.
The 7-0 heavyweight recently told Fighters Only how he told Dana White to his face that the promotion needed to get him another matchup fast.
“I already had talked to my team before,” Wint reflected. “I said, ‘Yo, we’re making the call to be on the Islam card and if they say no to that, they better put me on Sacramento because I’m not going home’ and I kid you not, man, I looked Dana White in his face and I think I scared him a little bit. I said, ‘I’m not going home, make it happen’.”
White followed through on his comments about booking Wint at UFC Sacramento, with the 30-year-old set to face Terrance Chatman on August 22.
Another impressive win will surely see the former NFL player quickly gain a lot of attention.
While this may be the case, Wint believes that it makes more sense to keep him apart from other stars who have recently emerged like Gable Steveson and Josh Hokit.
“I say let all the crops grow on their own and when it’s time for the harvest, you take the weeds out,” he said. “You see who the cream is and I think it makes for a better story… I think the best story is we all rise at the same time and when we’re 10-0, 12-0, 13-0, then it’s like, ‘Okay, the best guys in the world get to fight each other.’”
Anthony Wint has gained confidence from training with several other UFC Sacramento stars
When speaking to Fighters Only, Anthony Wint admitted that some doubt could creep into his mind ahead of his clash with the 5-1 Terrance Chatman.
The incredibly athletic heavyweight will counter this by banking on the high-level experience that he’s racked up in the gym.
Wint spoke about the time he’s spent alongside the likes of Gregory Rodrigues and Reinier de Ridder, who he will share the card with on Saturday night.
While Chatman may have a size and power advantage over those names, Wint is confident that they’re better fighters so he knows where his level is.
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