Anthony Wint Urges Sean Sharaf to Retire After Swift UFC 332 Knockout
The former NFL linebacker, Anthony Wint, made a loud statement in the UFC heavyweight division with a rapid 23-second knockout at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City. This was his second appearance in the Octagon and marks the fifth time in his undefeated nine-fight career that he finished an opponent in under a minute.
After dispatching Lucas Armand swiftly, Wint set his sights on Sean Sharaf, who himself recently stunned fans with a 12-second knockout over Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson at UFC 331. Wint spoke about this potential matchup on The Ariel Helwani Show, making it clear he wants that fight next.
"On paper, it makes sense," Wint told Uncrowned. "Stylistically, it’s a step up. Sean’s better than the guys I’ve fought before. Obviously, he has experience. But it’s all on Sean."He added, "I saw the part of the Joe Rogan podcast where Sean talked about retiring — and that’d be the smartest thing for him to do. Not saying anything against Sean, but I honestly don’t think he could be a world champion. That’s nothing against him. It’s going to take a lot for me to be a world champion. I think I have a little bit more than Sean, but him beating Gable Steveson is almost unfathomable."
Wint, 31, also shared that he has some personal history with Sharaf, since they trained together before Wint secured his UFC contract through the Contender Series in August. He played the role of Sharaf's sparring partner ahead of Sharaf’s fight with Steveson, helping him prepare for what many expected to be a tough battle.
"I told him, ‘If I was Gable, I would go out there and try to take your head off, try to knock you out,’" Wint said."Just like Gable, just like me against Lucas, I knew I could wrestle Lucas. His wrestling is worse than his striking, and his striking wasn’t that good. But that doesn’t add a notch to my belt. I went out there and submitted Terrance Chatman in my UFC debut, who had a different game plan. I wanted the knockout, I wanted the $100,000. I’m going for the knockout all the time. It makes better marketing when you put somebody flat on their face."
Despite calling out Sharaf, Wint emphasized there’s no personal animosity. He hopes Sharaf takes it in stride and sees it as a solid fight opportunity. If they don’t end up facing off, Wint said he’d be happy to train with him again.
After signing with the UFC in August, Wint has already earned a 2-0 record in the promotion. The quick finishes help him avoid damage, but he admitted he wishes he could showcase more of his skills during fights.
"I tell my coaches — I’m going to use my words carefully — I feel like a crackhead after these fights. No offense to anyone who suffers with drug abuse. I’ve had, what, five wins under 40 seconds, and I train so hard, man. We condition a lot. I’ve got a great team behind me, and it’s like, I’ve got more to put out there.""I kind of already knew that going into this fight. I want to give my opponent as much as I can, make them as good as I can be. But I knew Lucas didn’t have anything for me. Once I started punching, I wasn’t going to stop, and we saw the result."
Knockouts have defined most of Wint's MMA career; he’s only gone to a decision once in nine professional bouts. That decision came in March 2025 when he defeated Omar El-Sahlah via split decision for Fury FC.
Wint recognizes where his own limits lie and said he works hard on those areas as he climbs the heavyweight ladder in the UFC.
"It’s going to be tough for guys without the skill or experience to beat me because I study myself too well," he explained. "I know how to beat myself. I think there’s a plan for everyone, and I focus on those weaknesses more than anything.""When you think you can exploit something — maybe my inexperience, explosiveness, or lack of cardio — that’s what we spend most of our training time fixing. I’m excited to get tested more, which is weird to say."
Wint acknowledges perfection is impossible, even mentioning former two-division champion Jon Jones as someone close to that standard. He believes success comes from spotting and exploiting an opponent’s flaws first.
"I think it’s obvious where I’m weakest right now. Anyone with a decent coach or knowledge of martial arts or warfare knows nobody is unbeatable. There are very few martial artists who are flawless.""I know my limits, and because I know them, I work on those areas. When my opponent tries to attack those weaknesses, I close those paths and force them to change direction."
