Tag: Matt Hamill

After 41 Years, Deaf UFC Star Who Defeated Jon Jones Ends Decades of Silence: “I Can Finally Hear”

After 41 Years, Deaf UFC Star Who Defeated Jon Jones Ends Decades of Silence: "I Can Finally Hear"After over four decades of silence, former UFC standout Matt Hamill can finally hear. Hamill, 48, shared some heartwarming…

After 41 Years, Deaf UFC Star Who Defeated Jon Jones Ends Decades of Silence: "I Can Finally Hear"

After over four decades of silence, former UFC standout Matt Hamill can finally hear.

Hamill, 48, shared some heartwarming news on social media, revealing that he was able to hear his children’s voices for the first time after acquiring high-powered hearing aids that were developed with state-of-the-art technology to amplify his surrounding environment.

“I just got the most powerful digital hearing aids ever made,” Hamill wrote on Instagram. “For the first time in 41 years, I can finally hear my kids’ voices, the sounds of people walking and laughing. I finally heard my mom’s voice and she cried. I’m looking forward to hearing my brother Pat’s voice too. I only hope he doesn’t have a voice like a foghorn. This is awesome although I know it will take time to adapt to all of this. Happy New Year!”

Matt Hamill is best known for his crazy DQ win over ‘bones’ at the UFC’s TUF 10 finale

A three-time NCAA Division III national champion, Matt Hamill made his UFC debut in June 2006 and competed inside the Octagon for seven years. Along the way, he shared the cage with a slew of MMA legends like Michael Bisping, Rich Franklin, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, and Alexander Gustafsson.

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Hamill’s most notable victory came via a controversial disqualification against two-division titleholder and reigning undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, Jon Jones.

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‘Bones’ was having his way with Hamill, lighting up the Loveland, Ohio native with a slew of strikes from the mount. With less than a minute to go in the opening round, referee Steve Mazzagatti halted the action after observing Jones land multiple 12-to-6 elbows which were illegal until November 1, 2024. With Hamill unable to continue, Jones was DQ’d, handing him his first and only career loss.

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With the straight up-and-down elbows now perfectly legal inside the Octagon, Jon Jones suggested that his loss against Hamill be overturned, giving him back his ‘O’ in the process. However, Hamill proposed a different way to settle things with Jones.

After exiting the UFC, Hamill fought five more times under multiple promotional banners, going 2-3 in the process. He retired in 2018 after scoring a split-decision win against Chris Birchler at Maverick MMA 6 in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Former UFC Fighter Praises Major Breakthrough To Help Medical Condition: ‘For The First Time In 41 Years…’

Former UFC fighter Matt Hamill has one of the most remarkable stories of anyone that has stepped inside the Octagon. Having been deaf since birth, the Ohio native found his way to the highest level of the sport via season 3 of The Ultimate Fighter where he competed as a member of team Tito Ortiz. […]

Former UFC fighter Matt Hamill has one of the most remarkable stories of anyone that has stepped inside the Octagon. Having been deaf since birth, the Ohio native found his way to the highest level of the sport via season 3 of The Ultimate Fighter where he competed as a member of team Tito Ortiz.

He would go on to have 15 of his 20 pro fights inside the Octagon having left the promotion in 2013 before he fought for the last time in 2018. During his UFC run, Hamill faced some of the top names from his era with wins over the likes of Mark Muñoz, Keith Jardine and Tito Ortiz.

His time in the promotion is likely most well known for the fact that he is the only man to hold a pro victory over Jon Jones after the consensus greatest of all time was disqualified due to the now legal 12-6 elbow rule back in 2009. In a piece of remarkable news that has got 2025 off to a strong start, Hamill shared a post on social media which detailed a massive change that has happened in his life.

Via a new digital hearing aid that he has received, after being deaf for all 48 years of his life, he’s able to hear for the very first time.

“I just got the most powerful digital hearing aids ever made. For the first time in 41 years, I can finally hear my kids’ voices, the sounds of people walking and laughing. I finally heard my mom’s voice and she cried. I’m looking forward to hearing my brother Pat’s voice too. I only hope he doesn’t have a voice like a foghorn. This is awesome although I know it will take time to adapt to all of this. Happy New Year!”

Jon Jones Eager to Unleash Now-Legal 12-6 Elbows Against Stipe Miocic: ‘It’s a Devastating Strike’

Jon Jones Eager to Unleash Now-Legal 12-6 Elbows Against Stipe Miocic: ‘It’s a Devastating Strike’Jon Jones can’t wait to use 12-to-6 elbows in his return to the Octagon. On November 16, ‘Bones’ will…

Jon Jones Eager to Unleash Now-Legal 12-6 Elbows Against Stipe Miocic: ‘It’s a Devastating Strike’

Jon Jones can’t wait to use 12-to-6 elbows in his return to the Octagon.

On November 16, ‘Bones’ will compete for the first time since scoring a quickfire submission victory over Ciryl Gane to claim the undisputed UFC heavyweight title 20 months ago. In the time since, much has changed when it comes to the MMA rule set.

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As of the first of the month, 12-to-6 elbows are no longer an outlawed maneuver, much to the chagrin of Daniel Cormier.

Of course, Jones’ only professional loss in his career came as the result of a controversial DQ for using 12-to-6 elbows against opponent Matt Hamill at The Ultimate Fighter 10 finale in 2009.

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Now that Jones can freely let his downward elbows fly, he plans on using them to punish Stipe Miocic when the two heavyweights headline UFC 310 in Madison Square Garden.

“It just makes me wish that disqualification was overturned — that’s the biggest feeling I had when I learned that rule is no more,” Jones told Kevin Iole. “On the other hand, I accept the move more than ever now, and I’ve been training extensively on different 12-6 elbow attacks.

“It’s funny because it’s been such a no-no move, so you train yourself not to go there,” Jones continued. “Now that I’m able to use that strike … it’s a very devastating strike because it opens up so many more options, both on the feet and on top. I’m excited to be one of the first UFC athletes to legally display it at Madison Square Garden” (h/t MMA Mania).

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Jon Jones’ controversial DQ loss likely to never be overturned despite recent rule change

For what it’s worth, the California State Athletic Commission’s executive director Andy Foster fully supports the idea of overturning Jones’ lone loss.

“I didn’t like the way it was enforced back then, but that was 14 years ago,” Foster told Ariel Helwani. I think there were — look, we’re talking about 14 years later. At the time, I thought there were other ways you could handle that situation rather than flat giving the guy a loss,” Foster said. “The rule is what it was then; it’s different now. It would be hard to go back…I’d be actually supportive of getting rid of [his loss], but it’s not my decision.”

Unfortunately, it’s not likely to happen. Perhaps we’ll see ‘Bones’ take out some of that frustration on the consensus heavyweight GOAT in New York City.

Jon Jones’ lone loss opponent looking for matchup “He already lost to me!”

Jon Jones has one career loss and it’s a bit of an odd story. However, the one man to defeat him, Matt Hamill, is willing to fight ‘Bones’ once again.

Jon Jones’ Only Career Loss

Jon Jones has a near-perfect record at 27…

Jon Jones Loss

Jon Jones has one career loss and it’s a bit of an odd story. However, the one man to defeat him, Matt Hamill, is willing to fight ‘Bones’ once again.

Jon Jones’ Only Career Loss

Jon Jones has a near-perfect record at 27-1. Along the way, ‘Bones has defeated multiple generations of great fighters at the highest level, including several former champions. But on the way up, he ran into a loss on a rule violation.

In 2009, Jones met ‘The Hammer’ Matt Hamill. Hamill was a standout talented wrestler who had earned gold in the Deaflympics in multiple meetings. At this point in his MMA career, he was a dangerous rising prospect coming off of a first-round knockout against Mark Muñoz.

During their 2009 fight, the young Jones quickly took down Hamill, mounted him, and began delivering elbows from full mount. However, these were 12-6 elbows, directly from the ceiling to the ground. These have long been illegal in MMA although this was just overturned this past week. Therefore, due to a rule violation, Jones earned a loss via disqualification.

Because the rule was recently changed, Hamill offered to face Jones, now UFC heavyweight champion. “Let’s cut this chase,” He said, “[Dana White] – I know you’re desperate to get [Jon Jones] an undefeated record. I see how you want to profit from that! Is also why you bail him out of all the other things… How about a rematch?! I’ll be happy to fight him for a heavyweight title. If I beat him, I want a UFC belt. Let me know if Stipe Miocic backs out. I’ll take short notice, just remember he already lost to me!”

Matt Hamill Reacts To 12-6 Elbow Rule Change: ‘Dana White, I Know You’re Desperate To Get Jon Jones An Undefeated Record…’

Former UFC light heavyweight Matt Hamill has addressed the recent rule change regarding “12-6” elbows, a move that led to his victory over Jon Jones. Officially, Hamill is the sole man to defeat Jones across the current UFC heavyweight champion’s illustrious and record-breaking 29-fight professional career in mixed martial arts. The manner of victory, however, […]

Continue Reading Matt Hamill Reacts To 12-6 Elbow Rule Change: ‘Dana White, I Know You’re Desperate To Get Jon Jones An Undefeated Record…’ at MMA News.

Former UFC light heavyweight Matt Hamill has addressed the recent rule change regarding “12-6” elbows, a move that led to his victory over Jon Jones.

Officially, Hamill is the sole man to defeat Jones across the current UFC heavyweight champion’s illustrious and record-breaking 29-fight professional career in mixed martial arts.

The manner of victory, however, has long been a cause of debate, with “Bones” being disqualified by referee Steve Mazzagatti after being deemed to have thrown an illegal “12-6” elbow.

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The move is banned downward elbow that some perceived to be more dangerous than an angled strike. But that belief has frequently been called into question, leading to a vote on the removal of the ban at the annual conference held by the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC).

The vote went down on Tuesday in Louisville, Kentucky, with the committee unanimously voting in favor of removing the prohibition on “12-6” elbows from November 1 onwards.

Jones was quick to react to the news, once again calling for help from UFC CEO Dana White in getting his 2009 loss overturned.

The man victorious on that night, however, has something to say about that…

47-Year-Old Hamill Offers Jones Rematch In Light Of 12-6 Elbow Ban Being Lifted

A few years on from his win over Jones, Matt Hamill washed out of the UFC off the back of a 1-3 run that included a knockout loss to Alexander Gustafsson and decision defeat to Thiago Silva.

He subsequently lost his first three fights outside of the Octagon before bouncing back with a pair of regional triumphs in 2017 and 2018.

“The Hammer” hasn’t competed since, but judging by a recent Instagram post reacting to the new change coming regarding “12-6” elbows, he’d be down to revisit his matchup with Jones…

“Let’s cut this chase… @danawhite – I know you’re desperate to get @jonnybones an undefeated record,” Hamill wrote. “I see how you want to profit from that! Is also why you bail him out of all the other things… How about a rematch?! I’ll be happy to fight him for a heavyweight title. If I beat him, I want a UFC belt. Let me know if Stipe Miocic backs out. I’ll take short notice, just remember he already lost to me!”

At Thursday’s UFC 304 press conference, White insisted that whoever emerges from Saturday’s event as the interim heavyweight champ will face the winner of Jones vs. Miocic down the line.

Suffice to say, Tom Aspinall and Curtis Blaydes likely won’t be too worried about having to compete with Hamill for that spot…

Continue Reading Matt Hamill Reacts To 12-6 Elbow Rule Change: ‘Dana White, I Know You’re Desperate To Get Jon Jones An Undefeated Record…’ at MMA News.

Why Did Jon Jones Get Disqualified? Only UFC Loss To Matt Hamill Explained

As Dana White has made abundantly clear, Jon Jones is the best mixed martial artist of all time. He won six out of seven fights after making his UFC debut in 2008 to earn a title shot. The prospect then grabbed the UFC light heavyweight title from Mauricio Rua to become the youngest champion in […]

Continue Reading Why Did Jon Jones Get Disqualified? Only UFC Loss To Matt Hamill Explained at MMA News.

As Dana White has made abundantly clear, Jon Jones is the best mixed martial artist of all time. He won six out of seven fights after making his UFC debut in 2008 to earn a title shot. The prospect then grabbed the UFC light heavyweight title from Mauricio Rua to become the youngest champion in the promotion’s history.

Since then, Jones has fought in 15 consecutive title fights and his upcoming bout against Stipe Miocic is likely to be for the undisputed UFC heavyweight championship.

The only loss on the UFC heavyweight kingpin’s almost-perfect record came in December 2009 against Matt Hamill, via disqualification. Here’s why Jones got disqualified and whether he can update his record as per the latest rules…

Why Did Jon Jones Get DQ?

Jon Jones was disqualified against Hamill for throwing consecutive 12-6 elbows at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale. 12-6 elbows are illegal according to the Unified Rules of MMA and accordingly, in the UFC.

“Bones” was dominating the fight from the get-go, piecing up Hamill with kicks from a distance. He then took the latter down, got top position, and unleashed a flurry of elbows to break his guard.

While most of Jones’ strikes were perfectly legal and the fight was about to be stopped anyway, he threw a couple of 12-6 elbows. Steve Mazzagatti quickly jumped in to stop the fight and disqualified the rising contender.

Are 12-6 Elbows Illegal In MMA?

12-6 elbow strikes, also called downward elbow strikes, used to be illegal under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. They can be described as an elbow landed on a grounded opponent imitating the movement of throwing an elbow between 12 to 6 on a wall clock. Due to concerns related to fighter safety, the move was banned until July 2024.

The Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports voted to lift the ban on 12-6 elbows in July 2024 but the ruling will be effective from November 1, 2024. All state athletic commissions will have to approve these changes in rules separately as well.

Jon Jones Reacts To 12-6 Elbows Rule Change In The UFC

Soon after the ABC announced their decision to make 12-6 Elbows legal, Jones took to social media to claim his undefeated record. The UFC veteran even tagged the UFC President to help him overturn his loss.

“Undefeated then, undefeated now, @danawhite we gotta get that loss out of the history books.” said Jones via Instagram.

This is not the first time Jones has protested his loss to Matt Hamill. With state athletic commissions yet to approve the change in rules, it is hard to predict whether he will end up having a perfect pro record.

Read More: Curtis Blaydes Suggests Jon Jones Likely Turned Down ‘Harder Fight’ Against Him For Heavyweight Debut: ‘Smart Decision…’ 

Continue Reading Why Did Jon Jones Get Disqualified? Only UFC Loss To Matt Hamill Explained at MMA News.