Deaf MMA fighter and UFC veteran Matt Hamill has signed with World Series of Fighting and will make his debut on July 5th against an opponent yet to be determined. Hamill announced the news via social media on Thursday:
It’s confirmed..I will fight July 5th for WSOF.
— Matt Hamill (@Hammerufc) May 22, 2014
Hamill (11-5) was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter season 3 and spent seven years fighting in the UFC Light Heavyweight division, from 2006 to 2013. He holds notable wins over the likes of Tito Ortiz, Tim Boetsch, Mark Munoz, and even current UFC Light Heavyweight champ Jon Jones — albeit he won via disqualification after taking elbow shots deemed illegal that left him unable to continue.
Hamill briefly retired in 2011 after losing back-to-back fights against Alexander Gustafsson and Quinton Jackson. He returned to action in 2012 though, scoring a unanimous decision win over Roger Hollett at UFC 152.
“The Hammer” last fought at UFC Fight Night 29 in Oct. 2013 when he lost a unanimous decision to Thiago Silva and was subsequently released from the UFC.
Hamill, 37, was born deaf. He holds a silver medal in Greco-Roman Wrestling and a gold medal in Freestyle Wrestling from the 2001 Deafolympics. Hamill is the subject of a 2010 film entitled “The Hammer” about his early life and success as a wrestler.
World Series of Fighting’s July 5th card will air live on NBC Sports Network will be headlined with a Lightweight title bout between Nick Newell and Justin Gaethje. Also on the card is a Welterweight match-up between Jon Fitch and Josh Burkman, and a lightweight bout between Melvin Guillard and Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante.
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