NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. -- When preparing for a match, Matt Hamill of Utica hits the gym and trains for six hours some days in order to be a strong contender in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
"Matt's just a gifted and phenomenal athlete. I say athlete because Matt can do anything he wants to do. If he played football, he'd be in the NFL. If he was a swimmer he'd be in the Olympics," said his trainer, Duff Holmes.
And with a record of 6-1 Matt is up for any challenge that comes his way. Despite all of his accomplishments, he never hears it when the crowds cheer him on.
"The positive thing is I am deaf and I can't hear people screaming, so I can focus really easy. The disadvantage is I can't hear the coach in the corner. So that leaves me being alone to focus on my own game plan," said Hamill.
He trains as hard as he can and has fought all over the world. Matt's trainer has taught him a lot of different fighting techniques, but in return, he has learned a lot about the deaf community.
Ultimate Fighting Championship is a sport that is becoming more and more popular. It combines several different fighting techniques including boxing and martial arts. Our Iris St. Meran tells us about a local contender who strives to become the ultimate fighter and has overcome the ultimate challenge.
"I do attend a lot of deaf events with him, deaf expos and deaf culture celebrations like that and that's where I pick up the most. It's the fans that will come up and say 'you're learning sign language, that's great, let me show you a couple of words," said Holmes.
Matt doesn't let his disability define him or the game. The lessons that Matt has learned in and out of the ring helped him to tune out the naysayers.
"There's a lot of people who keep telling me there's no way you can make it. There's no way you can do it because I am deaf. They just put me real low. But I don't really listen to what people say. I just believe in myself," said Hamill.
For more information: www.matthamill.com