No one knew that UFC 133 would be the last time that we would see “The Hammer” in the Octagon. However, after suffering his second defeat in as many outings, Matt Hamill decided to call it a career. In an unseen turn of events, the sport of mixed martial arts has lost what was its first real emotional story.
Hamill is widely known as a mixed martial artist who has been deaf since birth. Even with this already stacked against him, Hamill was still able to push to a very respectable 10-4 career record. Imagine competing in any type of sporting event and not being able to hear your coaches giving you advice. Think about how much tougher that had to be in MMA, where Hamill’s opponents could hear instructions and game changes during rounds, while he had to wait until the minute rest period. Even still he did a great job overcoming.
Hamill first rose to fame as a competitor on the third season of The Ultimate Fighter. Even though he was unable to win the whole tournament, he was brought into the UFC as a contracted fighter. During his time in the organization he has won matchups against the likes of Mark Munoz, Tito Ortiz, and Keith Jardine. Even though he was never able to crack into the upper echelon of the light heavyweight division, Hamill was never considered just a gatekeeper.
An upcoming movie titled “Hamill” will feature the story of this fighter’s life. I’m interested in seeing his life’s story, and how he got to where he is today while battling the hearing impairment. Becoming a Division III National Champion and silver medalist is tough enough, but Hamill truly battled through adversity when odds were against him.
While this may be a snap judgment in response to his poor performance against Alexander Gustafsson, if it is indeed the end Matt Hamill has achieved what many able-bodied individuals can only dream. His career should be looked at as an inspiration, and he will be a great ambassador for both the sport of MMA and the athletic participation of the physically challenged.
