Ex-FIU, NFL linebacker Anthony Wint keeping his dreams alive while pursuing MMA career

Anthony Wint is still hitting people — just not with his shoulder pads at the moment.

Wint, a former star linebacker at FIU who played two games for the 2018 New York Jets, is 1-0 as a Mixed Martial Arts amateur. In a Premier Fight League bout on Feb. 6 in Miami, he defeated Kache Palacio via a third-round technical knockout.

James Llorens, the president of the Premier Fight League, said Wint has made an incredibly fast transition from football to MMA in just four months.

“He is like a sponge,” Llorens said, “and he’s very athletic.

“In Florida, you need five amateur fights before you can turn pro, and we’re going to continue to give him tough opponents.”

Wint’s next fight is April 10 in Miami against Jose “The Cuban Drago” Gonzalez.

But Wint, who has a Bachelor’s degree from FIU, said he has not given up on football. Before his next fight arrives, Wint will compete at FIU’s Pro Day on March 29. FIU coach Butch Davis is allowing ex-Panthers to compete in the pro day along with seniors from the 2020 season, and Wint is thrilled.

“Football is still my baby,” said Wint, who majored in Communications and minored in Marketing at FIU. “With the 24 hours I get each day, I’m still pursuing football as much as possible, training for both sports.”

Wint’s first FIU Pro Day was in the spring of 2018, when he ran a 4.85 in the 40-yard dash, lifted 225 pounds 17 times in the bench press and soared 35 inches in the vertical leap.

“I can do a heck of a lot better now,” Wint said of the numbers he promises to put on later this month.

Wint, who is 5-11 and 235 pounds, said his body is “jacked” now that he is training in MMA.

Before he arrived at FIU, he finished second in the state as a wrestler at Homestead High.

He chose FIU over other offers, including Syracuse, and he became a Panthers starter as a freshman. He ended up with 336 career tackles, which ranks second in FIU history.

Wint signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent and earned a spot on the practice roster. He made his NFL debut on Dec. 23, 2018 against the Green Bay Packers, and, on his first play, he was flagged for a block in the back on special teams.

Jets special-teams coach Brant Boyer let Wint have it, telling him that one more mistake would cost him his job. On his next play, though, Wint forced a fumble.

Unfortunately for Wint, his NFL career lasted just one more game. He was released on Aug. 31, 2019.

“After I got cut, no team called me,” Wint said. “It was demeaning, but it shows the window of opportunity is slim.

“A first-round pick can make more mistakes. As an undrafted free agent, you can’t make many, and since there’s money at stake, it’s more intense than college.”

Wint’s agency, First Round Management, had always told him that if football didn’t work out, MMA would be an option.

For his fighting debut, Wint said he was nervous.

“I had more than 100 family members and friends there,” Wint said. “I didn’t want to get knocked out or embarrassed.

“My strong suit is on the ground [wrestling]. My hands [as a boxer] are still amateur. The guy in my first fight, his hands were better than mine. But I won because I took him down three times and started punching.”