Matt Hamill recovering from grade 2 shoulder separation, returns to training next week
"The Ultimate Fighter 3" alumnus Matt Hamill hopes to begin training again on Feb. 1 but still suffers from shoulder pain as a result of his bout with Jon Jones this past December.
Hamill (8-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) was declared the victor in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale when Jones threw several illegal elbows and was disqualified in the first round.
The decision was met with controversy from fans and Jones' representatives, who asked the Nevada State Athletic Commission to change the result.
"He's taking it day by day," Hamill's manager, Duff Holmes, told MMAjunkie.com on Tuesday. "We want to be training, but the injury is just so painful, so we'll have to see how it goes."
Hamill suffered a grade 2 shoulder separation and dislocation when Jones tossed him to the mat in their light-heavyweight bout. Initially, Hamill thought that he might need surgery on the shoulder, but he later decided against it when doctors told him that physical therapy offered the same chance at full recovery.
"It's unbelievable; the first time in 11 pro fights he gets taken down, and he gets injured like that," Holmes said. "With the wrestlers he's working with, he never gets taken down; he doesn't know how to fall."
Following the fight, Hamill released a statement that he didn't consider the Dec. 5 contest a win and hoped to be back in the gym after the holidays. However, the victory likely will stand; NSAC executive director Keith Kizer recently told MMAjunkie.com that the commission won't hear an appeal and that it's actually the Nevada State Attorney General office's decision to make. (No action has been taken.)
Additionally, NSAC officials used instant replay for the first ever when they rewatched the ending of the Hamill vs. Jones fight. Since it was determined the illegal strikes contributed to Hamill's inability to continue, Jones was tagged with the DQ loss.
"The shoulder injury happened about two-and-a-half minutes into the round, and then for the next minute-and-a-half or so, Matt did a very good job defending with that," Kizer said. "So that had nothing to do with the stoppage of the fight. It was the cut."
Hamill's appearance on "TUF 3" introduced him to MMA fans as a strong-willed newcomer eager to learn the fight game. However, deaf since birth and dealing with communication problems, Hamill, a three-time NCAA Division III national wrestling champion, sometimes struggled to mesh with his cast mates.
Once known solely as a wrestler, Hamill has won five of his seven UFC victories with strikes. They include an impressive TKO of Reese Andy at UFC 92 and a highlight-reel head-kick knockout of Mark Munoz at UFC 96. His octagon losses came against established stars Michael Bisping and Rich Franklin.
Meanwhile, a movie about Hamill's life is currently in post-production and is expected for a late-summer or fall release. Former champions Dan Henderson and Franklin appear in the movie.
Hamill also makes an in-person appearance this Saturday at a "Cage Wars" event in Albany, N.Y.
Source: http://mmajunkie.com/news/17700/matt-ha ... t-week.mma