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!"