Why is Matt Hamill deaf?

Why is Matt Hamill deaf?

Of Irish descent, Hamill was deaf from birth. He was introduced to wrestling by his stepfather Michael Rich, who was the head wrestling coach at Loveland High School. Hamill attended the Rochester Institute of Technology for three years transferring there after a year at Purdue University.

Is Matt Hamill blind?

Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz finally noticed that Matt Hamill was deaf and has since formulated the perfect gameplan for defeating “The Hammer” at UFC 121 on Oct.

Why is Matt Hamill called the hammer?

We’re deep in the country, miles away from cities and shopping centers in Utica, a place that Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Matt “The Hammer” Hamill calls home. They call him The Hammer because that’s what his fist feels like when he’s punching.

Is Matt Hamill retired?

But after years of wear and tear, the Utica, New York resident has decided to move on. “Today is a sad day for me,” wrote Hamill in a statement on his website, matthamill.com. “After six years and 13 fights in the UFC I’m ready to hang up my gloves and retire from this amazing sport.

How did Matt Hamill learn to speak?

Following his freshman year he transferred to RIT, which houses the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. Even there, Hamill still felt out of place at first. Growing up, he communicated by reading lips, and became among the 5 percent of orally deaf who developed the ability to speak.

How did Matt Hamill communicate?

Even there, Hamill still felt out of place at first. Growing up, he communicated by reading lips, and became among the 5 percent of orally deaf who developed the ability to speak. Essentially, Hamill walked into one of the foremost centers for deaf education unfamiliar with Sign Language.

What happened to Matt Hamill on the ultimate fighter?

As reported by the UFC, Matt Hamill has decided to walk away from the sport of mixed martial arts. Hamill was defeated this past weekend by Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 133, thus ending his career that started with his performance on season three of The Ultimate Fighter when he was coached by Tito Ortiz.

Why did Matt Hamill leave UFC?

My career has been plagued by injuries starting with The Ultimate Fighter and disrupted my training ever since. There hasn’t been even one training camp where I’ve been able to train without training around an injury. I have not been kind to my body and it has nothing left after 28 years of non stop competition.

How did Matt Hamill become famous?

Hamill burst onto the MMA scene on TUF 3 as a part of Tito Ortiz’s team (Ortiz vs. Shamrock). At the time, he was only 1-0 in MMA. He won his first fight on the show over Mike Nickels before succumbing to an injury.