UFC debutant admits he had no idea how to defend submission: ‘What defense?’

Anthony Wint made a successful but unconventional UFC debut at UFC Sacramento, securing a first-round submission despite admitting he had no defensive strategy against his opponent's submission attempt. The heavyweight, making an 11-day turnaround after earning his contract on Dana White's Contender Series, faced fellow debutant Terrance Chatman and found himself in unexpected trouble when his wrestling advantage initially failed to materialize.

When Wint finally drove the action to the canvas, Chatman countered with a kimura from the bottom position. Rather than employing technical defense, Wint took a high-risk approach: he simply refused to tap and weathered the submission attempt, essentially gambling that Chatman would either release the hold or that his arm would survive the cranking. The gambit paid off. Wint managed to escape the kimura and subsequently locked in an arm-triangle choke that put Chatman to sleep late in the first round.

Wint candidly reflected on his defensive lapse during a Full Send MMA interview: "What defense? I didn't know what I was doing. I just said, 'You're gonna keep cranking it and I'm not gonna tap. Or you're gonna break my arm.'" Despite the unorthodox approach, Wint is now committed to systematic improvement. With his professional fighting obligations no longer competing for his time, he plans to dedicate himself fully to training under renowned coach Herbert Burns, specifically targeting weaknesses in submission defense and leg lock knowledge. Wint has finished seven of his eight career wins and brings legitimate pedigree to the heavyweight division as a former New York Jets linebacker, prompting him to boldly declare that "the heavyweight division is in trouble."