Anthony
Wint believes his stint in the National Football League
prepared him to handle the spotlight in the UFC.

Wint (8-0) is scheduled to make his sophomore
Ultimate Fighting Championship appearance against Lucas
Armand (6-0) at UFC
332 on Oct. 3 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The former New
York Jets linebacker says he isn't overwhelmed by being around UFC
stars or being viewed as a celebrity.

Anthony Wint says his NFL experience changed how he handles the
UFC spotlight

Wint has been training with several top-ranked and rising UFC
fighters, including Esteban
Ribovics, Gregory
Rodrigues, Anthony
Hernandez, Reinier
de Ridder and Roman
Dolidze. However, “Bow Down†isn't starstruck, having already
been around high-profile athletes in the NFL. Wint also learned not
to be overwhelmed by the spotlight after his NFL career didn't
develop as he had hoped.

“I played in the NFL and I'm used to being around the stars… I'm
used to people seeing me as a celebrity,†Wint said in an
interview. “And I train with Esteban [Ribovics]. My last fight, I
literally sparred three or four of the top-ranked guys in the
185-pound division: ‘Robocop,' I was around Anthony, RDR… I've done
countless rounds with him, even Roman; when I went to the P.I., I
got to roll around with him a little bit. So, you miss this star
effect of, ‘Dang, I'm in the UFC.' Because I already had that in
the NFL and I saw how it worked and it didn't work.â€

Wint earned his UFC contract on the ongoing season of
Dana White's Contender Series with a 34-second finish in
August. Wint refused to leave Las Vegas without getting his UFC
debut booked and made his Octagon debut 11 days later at
UFC Sacramento, where he earned a first-round submission
victory.

“I am not your regular fighter.â€

Heading into his second fight since earning his contract on August
11, Anthony
Wint is collecting experience and confidence by the truckload
as he looks to climb the heavyweight ranks. #UFC332

Fight by Fight Preview âž¡ï¸: https://t.co/Sw9Lgv2WTv pic.twitter.com/IlmscNyDoU

— UFC News (@UFCNews)
September 29, 2026

Week 8 of
Dana White's Contender Series Season 10 featured just four
fights due to a last-minute cancellation.

Ilias
Bulaid and Erick
Visconde were scheduled to kick off the card in a featherweight
bout Tuesday at Meta APEX in Las Vegas. However, the bout fell
through at the 11th hour after Bulaid fell ill despite making
weight. The matchup has been postponed to
Week 10 of DWCS 2026.

Dana White blasted Adama Diop's performance before awarding him
a UFC contract at DWCS Week 8

Aieza
Ramos Bertolso (8-0) took on Camila
Reynoso (9-2) in a strawweight matchup. Bertolso dominated
Reynoso in all aspects before forcing her to tap to a Brabo choke
in the first round.

While she was a -500 favorite going into the fight,
Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana
White initially didn't believe the odds. However, White
admitted that Bertolso proved the oddsmakers correct with her
dominant showing.

“Let's start with Aieza… So, you looked great on your feet, you
looked great on the ground,†White said while awarding Bertolso a
UFC contract. “You're 8-0, 25 years old; you were a 5-1 favorite. I
don't believe anybody is a 5-1 favorite, especially here at the
Contender Series. You were definitely a 5-1 favorite. You looked
amazing. And I think you're gonna be a great addition to the
115-pound division. Welcome to the UFC.â€

Ian
Escuza (8-0) earned a controversial stoppage victory in his
featherweight bout against Luca
Borando (9-2). Escuza dropped Borando with a knee and followed
with a flurry to secure the stoppage in just 32 seconds. During the
finishing sequence, Escuza landed another knee to a grounded
Borando.

White said he believed the fight should have been ruled a no
contest. While he was reluctant to give Escuza a contract, UFC
matchmaker Sean Shelby went to bat for the undefeated Peruvian.

“Ian, unfortunately for you, I disagree with the athletic
commission,†White said. “I think this fight should have been a no
contest. It was an illegal knee. I don't think it was intentional.
But not the way it should have played out. I don't know how you get
in here on a DQ or a no contest. But let me tell you this: Sean
Shelby just fought hard for you in the back. Sean Shelby said,
‘This guy is great; he is very talented.' Don't make Sean regret
this. Welcome to the UFC.â€

White handed out UFC contracts to all four winners Tuesday night.
Adama
Diop (7-1) failed to impress the UFC boss despite scoring a
stoppage victory over Zaurbek
Sabanov (5-1). White said he believes Diop will get knocked out
by UFC heavyweights if he fights the way he did Tuesday. However,
he gave the 31-year-old Senegalese a UFC contract with a stern
warning.

“Alright, big guy [Adama Diop], your fight was horrible, sloppy and
one of the worst fights I have ever seen on the Contender Series,â€
White said. “Your stand-up is horrible; you tried to wrestle your
way to a win till the crowd started booing you out of this place.
And if you fought in the UFC, a UFC heavyweight will knock your *ss
out the way this kid didn't and get the win. And here's the even
bigger problem: you're 31 years old. If you don't get this
opportunity tonight, what are you gonna do? Where are you gonna end
up? How's it gonna go? Don't f*cking make me regret this.â€

Paddy
Pimblett's teammate, George
Staines (9-0), scored a slam knockout against Loai
Abushaar (7-2) in the main event. White was impressed with
Staines' dominant performance against his 6-foot-4 lightweight
opponent.

“George, you were up against a massive guy at 155 pounds and you
absolutely destroyed him,†White said. “One of the greatest
finishes ever; you made it look easy. Congratulations and welcome
to the UFC.â€

4 new signees to the UFC ðŸ‘

George
Staines, Adama Diop,
Ian
Escuza & Aieza Bertolso all are now UFC fighters!

[ #DWCS
| LIVE on @ParamountPlus
] pic.twitter.com/tZyKTSLav9

— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount)
September 30, 2026

Eric
Nolan wants to earn his first
Ultimate Fighting Championship victory for his fellow U.S.
Marines.

Nolan (8-5) is scheduled to fight Court McGhee (22-14) in a
welterweight matchup at UFC
332 on Oct. 3 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. He started
training in mixed martial arts while serving in the Marine Corps
and has always wanted to represent the Marines at the highest level
of MMA.

Eric Nolan seeks his first UFC victory against Court McGhee at
UFC 332

Nolan believes he has disappointed his fellow Marines by losing
both of his UFC fights so far and wants to earn his first Octagon
victory for them on Saturday.

“When I started MMA, I always said I wanted to represent the United
States Marine Corps at the highest level of the sport,†Nolan told
MMA Fighting. “And it took me eight years to get here. And I
finally have the opportunity to do that. And I've been
disappointing them. And I know my brothers and sisters out there
are rooting for me. So, now it's just time to turn it up and show
the world why I'm in the UFC.â€

Nolan enlisted in the Marine Corps straight out of high school in
2015 and served until 2019. He also revealed that his DMs are
flooded with messages from Marines every time he fights and that he
tries to reply to every one to keep them motivated.

#UFC332’s
Eric
Nolan reveals his fellow Marines flood his DMs after his
fights:

“Every single time I’ve fought, I always answered every single
Marine. … I try to get back to all of them because I know what they
go through every single day.”

(🎥 @JoseYoungs)
pic.twitter.com/XLUNnpCO4e

— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting)
September 29, 2026