Wint Says Gambling Addiction Tougher Than UFC Fights

Former NFL prospect Anthony Wint said his gambling addiction posed a tougher challenge than either of the two opponents he faced in the UFC.

Wint, who signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2018 and was waived a year later, told Ariel Helwani that the habit took root in college after he parlayed $300 into $1,000 at a casino. Per Sherdog, he lived out of his car while chasing an NFL comeback that never materialized, spending his savings and falling deeper into the trap.

Wint Refused to Gamble During Vegas Stint

"When that didn't happen, I was sitting there broke, homeless, hungry," Wint said. "In college, my teammate's dad gave me and my teammate both $300 to gamble with. I turned that $300 into $1,000, and in my head a switch went off. I was like, 'I've been homeless my whole life. We've been in poverty all our lives. I just made $700 in two hours.' That was the trap. That was the trap of the devil. And he had me in those chains for eight years."

Wint earned a UFC contract with a first-round knockout of Matthew Adams on Dana White's Contender Series, then returned 11 days later to finish Terrance Chatman at UFC Sacramento. He stayed in Las Vegas between those bouts and said avoiding slot machines and blackjack tables during that stretch was harder than either fight.

"The battle wasn't Matthew Adams, the battle wasn't Terrance Chatman," Wint said. "The battle was having me sit in Vegas and not gamble. And by the grace of God, I was able to sit and would see slot machines and blackjack tables and know that I was stronger than the addiction I had before."

No date has been announced for Wint's next octagon appearance.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Anthony Wint says gambling addiction was bigger battle than 2 UFC fights