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Yet another former NFL player recently earned a UFC contract. Former New York Jets linebacker Anthony Wint headlined Week 1 of Dana White’s Contender Series 2026 against Matthew Adams. Wint made quick work of Adams, finishing him with ground-and-pound in just 34 seconds to earn a UFC contract. As Wint refuses to leave Las Vegas until his first UFC fight is booked, White is looking to put him on the UFC Sacramento card on Aug. 22.
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Dana White weighs in on NFL players in the UFC after Anthony Wint wins contract on DWCS
White believes a lot of NFL players could have achieved the pinnacle of success in the UFC if they had trained MMA since childhood. The UFC CEO particularly mentioned Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, who he’s friends with. White is confident that Crosby could have been a UFC champion if he had trained MMA from a young age.
“When you look at a lot of these guys that play in the NFL, if they… Imagine if Maxx Crosby trained in MMA since he was a kid, he would be a world champion right now,” White said at the DWCS post-fight press conference. “And I believe that to my core. And I know a lot of sh*t about Maxx Crosby that you guys don’t know.”
There is a long list of football players who made it to the UFC after transitioning to MMA. The likes of Ovince St. Preux, Eryk Anders and Dominick Reyes only played college football before transitioning to MMA. Meanwhile, others like Greg Hardy, Austen Lane, Zac Pauga and Matt Mitrione made it to the NFL before switching.
Josh Hokit is the latest high-profile fighter to have transitioned from football to MMA. Hokit was picked up as an undrafted free agent by the San Francisco 49ers in 2020 and had a brief stint with the Arizona Cardinals in 2022. “The Incredible Hok” transitioned to MMA soon after and made his UFC debut last year. He has shot to stardom lately, with three finishes in four wins so far.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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