Mmajunkie is running a four-part series on Matt Hamill. Part 1 went up today:
Here's what you already know about Matt "The Hammer" Hamill:
He's a three-time NCAA Division III national wrestling champion.
He was a contestant on "The Ultimate Fighter 3."
He owns victories over names such as Seth Petruzelli and Tim Boetsch.
Subjective, but widely popular, Hamill was stuck on the losing end of a split decision against Michael Bisping that left you wondering how two people sitting ringside saw something different than millions of others.
You may have heard this too: Hamill is hearing-impaired.
And here's something else you oughta know: Be it faulty judging or a handicap, Matt Hamill can care less about what's beyond his control. His leads a life of what the ignorant considers impossible, that of a championship contender and educator of the craft.
There's no complicated formula at work. Hamill's secret is simplicity. His philosophies are take your time, avoid lust and be satisfied. His choice of entrance music to his UFC 88 showdown with Rich Franklin, a former middleweight champion and sparring partner, was Lynard Skynard's "Simple Man," a song far from pulsating but a juxtaposition to Hamill's world.
"Simple Man is a great song and has a very deep meaning to me because it reminds me of my hero, my late grandfather Stanley," Hamill said. "We have a different song ready for UFC 92, and itis perfect for where I am in my career right now."
On Dec. 27 in Las Vegas, Hamill steps back into the octagon for a meeting with Reese Andy. The stats won't overwhelm anybody. Andy is 7-3, his last fight a languorous three-round decision loss to Brandon Vera. Hamill is 4-2 and was stopped by Franklin in the third round of a September fight.
So why should you care? It's simple: Hamill's story on how he earned a winning record in the UFC, a spot in what is annually the company's biggest show, and the focus of a biographical film make him the topic of an exclusive four-part series presented by MMAjunkie.com.
That's why.
"The interest in my life comes from overcoming my disability and never letting it get in my way," Hamill said. "I'm one of a kind in this sport, and I think many people can relate to that."
Some may relate, but most don't get it. It's impossible to fully comprehend how a hearing-impaired person can thrive in hand-to-hand combat. Months are committed into training and perfecting a game plan for each fight – and that blueprint can be crumpled and tossed away in an instant.
That's where a good corner, a group of experts who can spontaneously adjust between rounds and while being audible during the oftentimes ruckus battle, is precious. Hamill's lone communication outlet is sign language, which doesn't resonate when his opponent has side control and is thinking kimura.
"I don't think I realized how much of a step back perhaps being deaf was for him until I fought him," Franklin said. "I knew that he could never really talk to his corners, but it was kind of interesting to me to see what kind of system they were developing to try to give him the same advantage that applies to others that aren't in that situation."
Then again, fighting before 15,000 screaming fans evens the playing field. Your trainer can be begging, imploring in near panic that the end is near, and you won't hear a thing.
"You have to be on auto pilot at that point," said Boetsch, Hamill's second-round TKO victim at UFC Fight Night 13. "During the heat of battle, you're usually not going to be in a situation where somebody is going to tell you something that's going to determine the outcome of the fight. You get in there, let things go, and see how it works out."
It's worked out well for Hamill – so much so that a movie about his early life and career is in the works. Originally slated for a 2009 release, the movie received offers from major studios, but under conditions that would force Hamill's camp to compromise their true beliefs.
That may have delayed the project, but the with Hollywood ostentation. This was to be done one way, Matt Hamill: Raw.
"When we signed on we made sure Matt had final say on how he and his family would be portrayed," said Duff Holmes, Hamill's trainer. "Fictionalizing some of the people who made Matt the man he is was not an option for him, and Matt chose integrity over money. The bottom line is this is an amazing story of an amazing life, and it needs to be told the right way."
At one point, Hamill's career was on the right path; the loss to Bisping actually elevated his value. Then Franklin's kick smashed his liver and he keeled over, ending a dreadful performance Hamill called the worst of his life. Holmes called him out for a lack of focus, even suggesting in a published interview Hamill meet with a sports psychologist.
"When Matt first walked into my gym, going on almost four years now, he was so hungry, had so much heart and nothing would get in the way of him," Holmes said. "He kind of lost that hunger."
It was time Hamill to shed the nice-guy image. The way to do that was to go back to the beginning.
(Check out Part 2 of "Matt Hamill: Raw" on Monday.)
Nikkansports reported that Dana White responded to Satoshi Ishii on December 19.
Dana White released his comment regarding Satoshi Ishii through WOWOW, which broadcast the UFC in Japan, on December 19. In the comment, he admitted Ishii's potential to be a great MMA fighter and applauded his smart decision. He also invited him to UFC 92 in Las Vegas on December 27, and advised him to see light heavyweight top fighters such as Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Wanderlei Silva and Quinton Jackson.
Satoshi Ishii thanked Dana White and immediately decided to go to Las Vegas to watch the event.
This is a pretty big deal…this dude is a man God in Japan. How it translate to MMA, who knows but if the UFC wants to break into Japan here is where it starts.
I dont know him, but he sounds like a good investment. He is 6'8" 220lbs.
Fighters Only Magazine is reporting that the UFC has signed Stefan Struve, a heavyweight stand out, from Holland. At Just 20 years old, Struve has stopped two UFC vets in Colin Robinson by triangle choke and Mario Neto by Rear Naked Choke.
Struve (16-2) fights out the Team Schrijber camp under PRIDE veteran "Dirty Bob" Schrijber.
No opponent has been set for Struve who will be debuting at UFC 95 in London on February 22.
"I think I can beat most of the guys there. They have five or six really good heavyweights. The other guys... not so good, I think," Struve told the UK magazine.
In the past weeks, Struve has been in contact with Dream and Affliction before settling on the UFC.
I dont know him, but he sounds like a good investment. He is 6'8" 220lbs..
I had never heard of him until the olympics...
I imagine he ends up at LHW.
I'm utterly stunned he isn't fighting in Japan (assuming he signs with the UFC here.) When he announced he wouldn't represent Japan in 2009 on some international Judo tourney I was certain he was heading to WVR, DREAM and specifically Sengoku. Really strange he is choosing the UFC.
Lesnar aside, the UFC is such a buzz saw with match ups and while this dude is a Judo badass I am not sure its the place for him to learn.
I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out. Remember this guys name.
Satoshi Ishii
Satoshi Ishii
Satoshi Ishii
Even though the event has yet to be officially announced, the UFC is poised to return to the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio for the third consecutive year with UFC 96 on Saturday, March 7.
And while no matchups have yet to formally be released to the public, FiveOuncesOfPain.com can exclusively report that a heavyweight clash between former heavyweight le challenger Gabriel Gonzaga and former NCAA Division II wrestling champion Shane Carwin is now set to take place.
Gonzaga is 10-3 and trains out of Team Link in Massachusetts. The jiu-jitsu black belt’s most high-profile fight took place at UFC 74 in August of 2007 when he lost to then-UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture via third round TKO.
Following the loss to Couture, the native Brazilian then suffered a second round TKO defeat at the hands of Fabricio Werdum at UFC 80 last January. However, since that time, Gonzaga has once again begun to climb the championship ladder with consecutive wins.
Facing former professional wrestler Justin McCully at UFC 86, Gonzaga submitted the Team Punishment member with a Kimura at just 1:57 into the bout. He followed up dominant victory with another first round finish last month by knocking out UFC newcomer Josh Hendricks just 1:01 into the fight.
The 33-year old Carwin is not only a former D2 wrestling champion, but he is a former two-time NCAA Division II All-American in football who once went to training camp with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.
The Colorado native made his pro MMA debut in 2005 and has gone 10-0 in that time with notable victories over Justice Smith of American Gladiators fame, former IFO heavyweight champion Chris Guillen, former Arena Football League star Rex Richards, and former UFC veteran Sherman Pendergarst.
After beginning his career with an 8-0 record, Carwin began to attract interest from multiple major national promotions, including EliteXC. His name had actually prematurely appeared on Showtime’s website last January in an advertised match against Antonio Silva at “Street Certified.” However, Carwin never formally signed with EliteXC and actually accepted less money to sign with the UFC, as he considered the promotion to be the NFL of mixed martial arts.
Debuting at UFC 84 in May, Carwin needed just 44 seconds to knock out Christian Wellisch of the American Kickboxing Academy. He returned at UFC 89 in October, where he took all of 1:31 of round 1 to TKO British heavyweight Neil Wain. The win over Wain marked the tenth consecutive time an opponent had failed to escape the first round against Carwin.
Since arriving in the UFC, Carwin’s punching prowess has been better than advertised. While still considered a prospect, his solid standup coupled with his tremendous wrestling base could make him a le contender sooner than initially anticipated. By taking a major step up in compe ion at UFC 96, it’s possible that the winner of Gonzaga vs. Carwin could find themselves in prime position for a future heavyweight le shot.
Not to sound like I dont like it, because I love the fight...but why is Cain Velasquez still fighting cans if Carwin dosent have too? Maybe they just like him better, and want to bring him along slower...Ill go with that.
Not to sound like I dont like it, because I love the fight...but why is Cain Velasquez still fighting cans if Carwin dosent have too? Maybe they just like him better, and want to bring him along slower...Ill go with that.
Carwin and Cain are incredible blue chip prospects but Carwin is way farther ahead than Cain. I'm certain neither has even come close to reaching their potential but I think Carwin would win between the two at this time, in three fights…who knows? Carwin has fought 10 times while Cain has fought 4…that is a such a huge difference when you're a prospect. That’s basically two extra years of true fight experience but I am not sure he is ready for GG. This is a HUGE fight for Carwin. Makes me a bit nervous.
One thing I love about the UFC is how the big names get big fights time and time again with no freak show cans but one thing I don't like is I feel like the younger guys get pushed too fast.
ATT manages him and I am sure they pushing to bring him along slowly, as they should. As long as he isn't asking for stupid money the UFC should grant the time to develop.
Carwin and Cain are incredible blue chip prospects but Carwin is way farther ahead than Cain. I'm certain neither has even come close to reaching their potential but I think Carwin would win between the two at this time, in three fights…who knows? Carwin has fought 10 times while Cain has fought 4…that is a such a huge difference when you're a prospect. That’s basically two extra years of true fight experience but I am not sure he is ready for GG. This is a HUGE fight for Carwin. Makes me a bit nervous.
One thing I love about the UFC is how the big names get big fights time and time again with no freak show cans but one thing I don't like is I feel like the younger guys get pushed too fast.
ATT manages him and I am sure they pushing to bring him along slowly, as they should. As long as he isn't asking for stupid money the UFC should grant the time to develop.
Don't want another Vera or Soku on our hands.
True...I dont know what id do if Cain turned out like Vera.
Cain. Is a smart and well grounded guy IMO. I never miss Inside MMA and he has been on a few times….his ego seems neutral while confident.
Vera. In 1 year he had a blowout with his old gym City Boxing, lawsuit, contract hold out and was running his idiotic mouth about holding a HW and LHW belt and he hadn't done a thing against top opponents. Then he comes back and turns into a mental midget.
Cain. Is a smart and well grounded guy IMO. I never miss Inside MMA and he has been on a few times….his ego seems neutral while confident.
Vera. In 1 year he had a blowout with his old gym City Boxing, lawsuit, contract hold out and was running his idiotic mouth about holding a HW and LHW belt and he hadn't done a thing against top opponents. Then he comes back and turns into a mental midget.
Cain will be fine.
I hope so....not once have I seen Inside MMA...how do you watch it? Is it an internet webcast? Does it come on some station I dont have? I know what happens on it, because I look around and find out who was on and what they had to say, but Ive never watched it.
A middleweight matchup between former three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion Jake Rosholt and former Italian professional boxer Alessio Sakara is believed to be in the works for UFC Fight Night 17 on February 7, FiveOuncesOfPain.com has learned through multiple sources.
Rosholt’s camp is believed to have agreed to the bout with Sakara expected to follow suit once he receives a formal bout agreement.
If the bout is finalized, the fight will mark Rosholt’s debut in the UFC in light of sibling promotion World Extreme Cagefighting disbanding its middleweight and light heavyweight divisions following its WEC 37 event on December 3.
Rosholt graduated from Oklahoma State University, where he won the 184-pound NCAA le in 2003 and the 197-pound le in 2005 and 2006. Additionally, he was a four-time All-American and a Big 12 conference champion in 2004 while attending OSU.
After making his pro MMA debut in 2007, Rosholt quickly amassed a 4-0 record before signing a multi-fight agreement with the WEC. Making his debut at WEC 36 on Nov. 5, Rosholt improved to 5-0 with a second round TKO over the previously undefeated Nissen Osterneck.
Sakara, a former light heavyweight compe or who currently trains out of American Top Team, is coming off a first round knockout at UFC Fight Night 15 back in September. Facing Joe Vedeop, Sakara finished the one-time Extreme Challenge fighter just 1:27 into the fight following a head kick.
UFN 17 is scheduled to air on e TV between 9-11 p.m. ET and will emanate from the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida. Matchups for the show already officially announced include TUF 5 alum Joe Lauzon vs. former UFC lightweight le challenger Hermes Franca; TUF 6 winner Mac Danzig vs. Josh Neer; TUF 7 winner Amir Sadollah vs. UFC newcomer Nick Catone, and two-time NCAA All-American Cain Velasquez vs. UFC newcomer Denis “The Menace” Stojnic.
While not yet officially announced by the UFC, FiveOuncesOfPain.com was also the first to report that Gleison Tibau and Rich Clementi will be squaring off in a lightweight encounter.
Earlier this week FiveOuncesOfPain.com was the first to report that UFC middleweight le contender Nathan Marquardt is set to return to action at UFC 95 on Saturday, February 21 at the O2 Arena in London, England.
FiveOuncesOfPain.com has now also confirmed that a verbal agreement has been secured for Marquardt to face American Top Team middleweight Wilson Gouveia.
Gouveia just recently improved his overall record to 12-5 following a first round submission over Jason MacDonald during last Saturday’s live finale for the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter. The win improved Gouveia’s record to 2-0 since leaving the UFC’s 205-pound division and increased his lifetime record inside the Octagon to 7-2.
If finalized, the fight will mark Marquardt’s first since bout since recording a first round TKO over Martin Kampmann at UFC 88 this past September. Prior to beating Kampmann, the former King of Pancrase had lost a controversial split decision in London against Thales Leites.
A veteran of eight UFC fights, Marquardt is 6-2 lifetime when competing inside the Octagon and is 27-8-2 overall with notable victories in his career over Yuji Hoshino, Kazuo Misaki, Shonie Carter, Yves Edwards, Jeremy Horn, Ivan Salaverry, and Joe Doerksen.
I hope so....not once have I seen Inside MMA...how do you watch it? Is it an internet webcast? Does it come on some station I dont have? I know what happens on it, because I look around and find out who was on and what they had to say, but Ive never watched it.
Do you have an HD Tier on your cable/Sat package? If so, HDNet.
If not, they go on youtube around Tuesday I think.
As for Rosholt....I have been waving his flag since I saw him in some NCAA DIV I wrestling finals awhile ago before his first MMA and I have seen all his fight...I was pretty excited for his WEC premier and he looked terrible. He better look 4 x better than he did in the WEC or he will be shredded.
I'm utterly stunned he isn't fighting in Japan (assuming he signs with the UFC here.) When he announced he wouldn't represent Japan in 2009 on some international Judo tourney I was certain he was heading to WVR, DREAM and specifically Sengoku. Really strange he is choosing the UFC.
Lesnar aside, the UFC is such a buzz saw with match ups and while this dude is a Judo badass I am not sure its the place for him to learn.
I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out. Remember this guys name.
Satoshi Ishii
Satoshi Ishii
Satoshi Ishii
"I made up my mind finally. The UFC is where I fight." - Japanese Gold Medal Judoka Satoshi Ishii, making a legit statement or playing the UFC for more money from FEG or WVR? (MMAFighting.com)
"It's unfortunate that the man with the Japanese MMA world on his shoulders is going abroad." - FEG President Sadaharu Tanigawa, uttering what is probably a very stern condemnation of Ishii in Japanese culture. (Sherdog)
"We'd like him to become a pillar of Japanese MMA." - Tanigawa, who needs Ishii when you have pillars like Hong Man Choi and Semmy Schilt?
"I'm a white belt in MMA." - Ishii
"I plan to go next March for training at American Top Team." - Ishii, too bad he doesn't go train with Team Quest and Sokoudjou and completely remove judo from his MMA game!
Chuck Liddell recently appeared as a guest on the CBS syndicated radio program, "The Tom Leykis Show".
During the broadcast Liddell stated that he will be ready to showcase all of the skills he possesses that fans have not seen in a while.
"My next fight... I don't know, but I will come out and use all of my skills. Hopefully from here on out this style will be effective.
Liddell also steered clear of rumors that he may be facing Anderson Silva and instead appears intent on beginning a revenge tour, starting with Keith Jardine in March.
"There's been a few names. We have Jardine listed. We want him in March."
The fight makes sense for both men. The first fight was a stand up battle with Jardine getting the better of a gun shy Liddell who looked tentative coming off of his knockout loss to Rampage Jackson.
Do you have an HD Tier on your cable/Sat package? If so, HDNet.
If not, they go on youtube around Tuesday I think.
As for Rosholt....I have been waving his flag since I saw him in some NCAA DIV I wrestling finals awhile ago before his first MMA and I have seen all his fight...I was pretty excited for his WEC premier and he looked terrible. He better look 4 x better than he did in the WEC or he will be shredded.
No...no HD stuff...Im not that fancy. Youtube I can do though, thanks!
Chuck Liddell recently appeared as a guest on the CBS syndicated radio program, "The Tom Leykis Show".
During the broadcast Liddell stated that he will be ready to showcase all of the skills he possesses that fans have not seen in a while.
"My next fight... I don't know, but I will come out and use all of my skills. Hopefully from here on out this style will be effective.
Liddell also steered clear of rumors that he may be facing Anderson Silva and instead appears intent on beginning a revenge tour, starting with Keith Jardine in March.
"There's been a few names. We have Jardine listed. We want him in March."
The fight makes sense for both men. The first fight was a stand up battle with Jardine getting the better of a gun shy Liddell who looked tentative coming off of his knockout loss to Rampage Jackson.
Now that's a really good fight, one i'd want to see. The first fight was great, Jardine definately won but it was certainly compe ive. Both guys have styles that make for a good fight.. Who knows Chuck might win that re-match..
It appears those looking to cheer on former UFC welterweight le challenge Jon Fitch in his return to the promotion at UFC 94 following a 24-hour release from the company may have to do so in person at the MGM Garden Arena — or hope his fight vs. Akihiro Gono makes the PPV telecast on a tape-delay basis.
According to the UFC’s official website, Fitch’s bout vs. Gono is currently not one of the five fights guaranteed to make the January 31 PPV event. As of now, the guaranteed televised lineup for the show consists of UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre defending his le vs. UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn, Karo Parisyan taking on Dong Hyun Kim, Lyoto Machida vs. Thiago Silva, Nate Diaz vs. Clay Guida, and Stephan Bonnar vs. Jon Jones.
It should be noted that this development is based solely off the UFC’s official listing for the card on its website and the company has yet to make an official statement. It’s also possible that a change in the televised lineup could always be made at a later date.
Fitch was released in November after being caught in the crossfire of a dispute between UFC management and his trainers at the American Kickboxing Academy and management at Zinkin Entertainment. However, after a great deal of negative publicity directed at the UFC, the issue was resolved the next day after Fitch contacted UFC CEO Lorenzo Fer ta and successfully negotiated a return to the company’s roster.
If Fitch’s UFC 94 bout is not broadcast it will be interesting to see what his reaction will be. When he initially began his career in the UFC, his early bouts were not made available during the televised portion of UFC events, a situation that he was once very outspoken about.
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Well, they will show Karo and Dong and Bonnar and Jones, but not Fitch and Gono...wow. Id rather them be shown over Dong and Karo, because I sort of want to see Bonner-Jones for two reasons
1. Stephen Bonner is back
2. And most importantly!!! I got high hopes for Jones!!! Who has only been training in MMA for about a year!
Im not saying he does....he dosent....just a preference.
You know for 45-50 bucks the UFC can't broadcast 6 main event fights. Is that against the law or something?? UFC 94 has a mega main event, but the other fights are nothing like what we are seeing at UFC 92..
You know for 45-50 bucks the UFC can't broadcast 6 main event fights. Is that against the law or something?? UFC 94 has a mega main event, but the other fights are nothing like what we are seeing at UFC 92..
I am not 100% but I believe they do main event line ups having to assume all 5 fights could go their max rounds to fit into their PPV slot. If you go over your initial purchased time frame, or are late to start you have to pay massive fees to In demand PPV which is the people who run everything. That’s one huge hurdle PRIDE could never overcome and why they lost so much on PPV in America. Depending on where you read you have to kick back somewhere between 45% and 55% of all sales to In Demand so there is your shrinking profit already. PRIDE was always late to start and running long over and from what I have read it killed them on pentalties. So then they tried to show the fights a few days later all edited but the die hards knew the result or where to watch it live for free so another death blow to their bottom line.
I'm rambling……..
My biggest complaint with the UFC has always been showing too few fights but they have gotton so much better with that and we now get to see most of them. However…I want to see them all so less chat and more punches please…for starters get rid of that gawdawful 5 minute intro and axe the celeb interviews….
