Efter två raka förluster mot Quinton ”Rampage” Jackson och Alexander Gustafsson har den 34-årige Matt Hamill fått nog. Han meddelade idag via sin webbsida att han officiellt går i pension.
Hans MMA-karriär stannar därför på 10-4 och han har i hela sin karriär, förut om en match, befunnit sig i UFC. Men nu är detta över, något som förstås är väldigt tråkigt. Vissa tycker att han går i pension alldeles för tidigt, men han såg inte vidare motiverad ut i matchen mot Gustafsson vilket kan vara varför han nu valt att lämna MMA-livet bakom sig. Fast inte helt och hållet då han fortfarande kommer att driva sin skola.
Det fullständiga öppna brevet som Hamill skrev finns direkt efter hoppet.
Tack till Jirlow, Jense, Mlcfc. Amir, Wille87 och Andreas för tipset.
Today is a sad day for me. After six years and 13 fights in the UFC I’m ready to hang up my gloves and retire from this amazing sport.
The UFC has been extremely good to me and given me an opportunity to make a great living. That exposure has allowed me options outside the Octagon as well. I just don’t have it in me to fight anymore and my last two performances have shown that.
I was ready to make this decision after UFC 130 but my friends, family coaches and most importantly my daughter encouraged me to give it one last chance. 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. It’s time to finally give it a rest.
I can’t continue to fight without having the hunger and desire to do so. I can’t let my performances reflect on my coaches who are the best in the world and the reason I’ve made it this far.
I have fallen in love with the sport of Mixed Martial Arts and I will continue to coach at our gym Mohawk Valley MMA along side my teammates and help the next generation of fighters make it to the UFC. I also look forward to continuing my business ventures outside the UFC including “Hamill” the movie based on my life story set to be released this fall.
I want to thank Dana White, Joe Silva Lorenzo Fertitta and everyone at the UFC for the opportunity to make something special out of my life.
Thank you to Duff, Holmes, Bruno Tostes, Dave Kingwater, Renzo Gracie, Tim Greene, Daniel Gracie, Pat Popolizio, Ron Gross, Doug Blubaugh and Mark Dellagrotte.
Thank you to all my training partners who have shared their blood sweat and tears with me along the way. Thank you to all my friends and family for their unconditional support and most of all thank you to my fans! It’s the fans that have made this the truly special experience it has been.
The UFC has become family to me and I hope to be involved with the number one mixed martial arts organization in the world as a coach, ambassador and fan for a long time to come.
-Matt “The Hammer” Hamill”
