Matt Hamill, who achieved widespread fame and admiration as a successful hearing-impaired fighter, will return to pro MMA this year after signing with the World Series of Fighting promotion.
The news came Wednesday night via Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.
Hamill will compete in a four-man tournament to determine the inaugural WSOF light heavyweight champion. Also in the bracket is Thiago Silva, the controversial fighter who has also signed with WSOF and who defeated Hamill by unanimous decision in October 2013. As it happens, that was the last professional fight in the UFC or elsewhere for both men.
Silva will face another UFC veteran, Ronny Markes, in the tournament’s semifinal round. Hamill will take on an as-yet unannounced opponent.
Last July, Hamill, now 38, retired from the sport, citing a “nagging injury.” However, in December Hamill tweeted that he was coming out of retirement and seeking a fight.
It’s time for The Hammer to get back into the ring and offer some payback! http://t.co/pyPxCPKCQG
— Matt Hamill (@Hammerufc) December 5, 2014
Hamill originally targeted Bellator and a rematch with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson for his return fight. But that never materialized. Like a bout with Jackson, however, a matchup with Silva would give Hamill the opportunity to avenge a previous loss.
Hamill (11-5) earned legions of fans for his success in college wrestling and later in MMA. He was a formidable and heavy-handed wrestler during his heyday in the late 2000s, defeating notables like Tito Ortiz, Mark Munoz and Keith Jardine.
He also has the strange distinction of being the only man to ever technically defeat Jon Jones, though he only did so because Jones was disqualified for throwing illegal elbows.
In 2010, a movie, The Hammer, was made about Hamill’s life.
At the tail end of his UFC run, Hamill looked thoroughly unimpressive, even during rare victories. Diminished by time and injuries, Hamill was a shell of his former self, particularly against younger, more complete mixed martial artists.
It remains to be seen whether Hamill’s health or fighting game will have improved during his retirement. Either way, Hamill’s return to active competition will likely draw interest in various quarters of the MMA and non-MMA public.
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