The UFC’s first ever deaf fighter Matt Hamill has started the new year in style by revealing that he can now hear for the first time in his life after being given new digital hearing aids.
“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!“
The 48-year-old Hamill spent the majority of his career competing in the UFC after appearing on The Ultimate Fighter Season 3.
Hamill’s first few years in the Octagon went well, going 9-2, but he did then suffer losses in three of his next four fights, which spelled the end of his time in the promotion.
Hamill continued to struggle for a while on the regional circuit, but did then get a couple of wins under his belt before retiring in 2018 with an overall career record of 13-8.
Of course Hamill is still best known for an infamously controversial disqualification win over Jon Jones back in 2009 in which he was being soundly beaten late in the opening round until the referee stepped in to harshly DQ’d ‘Bones’ for landing illegal downward elbows.
To this day it remains the only loss on Jones record, despite the fact there’s been numerous attempts to overturn it over the years, and even though the rule regarding downward elbows was finally scrapped in 2024.
