Matt Hamill was king for the night

On December 5, 2009, The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale was happening. It featured a young Jon Jones (27-1, 1 NC) and Matt Hamill (13-8), two fighters vying for supremacy in the UFC. It was part of a card featuring Roy Nelson knocking out Brendan Schaub in the first round of the main event.

However, that Jones-Hamill fight would carry significant weight, specifically for Jones’s career. It’s the only loss “Bones” has in his illustrious MMA career. The reason? Illegal downwards elbows. It was a controversial decision that even Hamill contested, stating that “he definitely didn’t win.” Even Dana White tried to get involved and overturn the loss.

Little did Hamill know that the win would become larger than life, with the native of Utica, New York, carrying that distinction. However, times would get even easier for the light heavyweight victor. That would come in a fight against Tito Ortiz, who offered a golden opportunity for stardom with a win.

Matt Hamill defeats Tito Ortiz

The deaf wrestler took on Tito Ortiz (21-12-1) at UFC 121, with the light heavyweight fight on the main card. On October 23, 2010, it would become the night Matt Hamill would remember, for he won via unanimous decision.

Ironically, Hamill was Ortiz’s first pick during the third season of The Ultimate Fighter. For the Utica native, everything was coming full circle. Defeating Ortiz and sending him to his fourth straight fight without a win made him the king of the world.

Soon, Hamill would get the big fights, even main-eventing UFC 130 against Quinton Jackson (38-14). Suddenly, he was recognized as a top fighter with an incredible story at 10-2. Being an inspiration for the deaf community and defeating a top fighter were incredible accomplishments.

Losing to Quinton Jackson

However, things changed on May 28, 2011, in Las Vegas. There, Mark Hamill would lose the main event fight to Jackson via unanimous decision, with the light heavyweight losing six of his last nine fights. The ride was over, with fans declaring him a one-hit wonder.

However, Hamill should be remembered as the “king for the night.” He’s the only fighter to defeat Jon Jones (even if it wasn’t by his own merit) and took down Tito Ortiz. He became an ambassador for the deaf community and those aspiring to become MMA fighters. As Robert de Niro said in King of Comedy, “Better to be king for the night than a schmuck for a lifetime.”