Deaf UFC Fighter Regains Hearing After 41 Years

Former MMA fighter Matt Hamill made a name for himself in the UFC as the organization's first deaf competitor. Now, for the first time in more than four decades, Hamill can hear. 

The 48-year-old father of three shared the good news in an exciting Instagram post to kick off the new year. 

"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," he shared with his fans, adding, "This is awesome, although I know it will take time to adapt to all of this." 

Hamill rose to prominence as a fighter when he appeared on the third season of MMA reality series The Ultimate Fighter as a protégé of former UFC light heavyweight champ Tito Ortiz. He went on to join the UFC and competed 15 times from 2006 to 2013, earning the nickname "The Hammer."

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In 2010, Hamill was the subject of the biopic The Hammer, which told the story of his life from being born deaf to his successful collegiate wrestling career. He was portrayed on screen by deaf actor Russell Harvard, who went on to have a recurring role on Fargo, among other film and TV roles.