The world premiere of “The Hammer” movie will take place in Utica Wednesday October 26th at the Uptown Theater. The movie will start at 7pm with a red carpet event at 6pm. Tickets are $10 with a portion of the proceeds going to the Rome School for the Deaf. Tix are available at the Uptown Theater Oct. 21st 6:30-10, 22nd 2p-10p, 23rd 3p-9p, 24th 6p-12a. For a full schedule of the nationwide release dates click the link below. The Hammer Film

Spots are filling fast for the Mohawk Valley MMA Clay Guida Seminar! If you havent already, make sure you register now. We are limiting the seminar to 40 people to ensure everyone has quality time with Clay. Register now at info@mvmma.com or call 315-525-2249. Dont miss this chance to train with one of the best fighters in the world. $39 non members $25 MVMMA members. Saturday 9/10/11 at 4pm… only at MVMMA. 405 Main St. Utica NY 13501

Attention UFC fans!!! Special autograph session featuring two of the biggest fan favorites in UFC history. Matt “The Hammer” Hamill and Clay “The Carpenter” Guida. Sat Sept. 10th Mohawk Valley MMA 12-2pm. Open to all.

Learn from one of the best MMA fighters in the world! UFC star Clay Guida will be teaching an MMA seminar at Mohawk Valley MMA Sat Sept 10th at 4pm. Only $39 ($25 for MVMMA members).

Come celebrate the retirement of The Hammer!!! Join us Sat Sept 10th 9pm at Piers and Blake, Historic Bagg’s Square, Utica NY. An awesome party for an awesome athlete. 21 and over, everyone is welcome.

UFC 96! Matt’s 2nd trip to his home state ended with this forever highlight reel and KO of the night over Mark Munoz March 7th 2009.

The energy in the arena that night was amazing. We walked in to “Hang on Sloopy” which is the official rock song of Ohio. Dana White later called it a homerun and one of the best walk ins ever. We also wore jerseys made to look like Ohio State football jerseys. The crowd was on our side to say the least.

One of Matt’s proudest moments… sending the hometown Ohio fans into a frenzy with the one hitter quitter head kick!

Knockout of the night in front of 22,000 people including all your family and friends… priceless!

It was written after UFC 96 that Matt showed no concern for Munoz’s well being and never bothered to check on him after the knock out. From the first moment of his career to the last, Matt handeled himself with the upmost class and dignity. Here’s the proof…

Matt’s first ever Superman punch vs Rex Holman March 3rd 2007 at UFC 68.

Even though Rex is a 2X Division 1 National Champ, things dont work out to well for him and he’s TKO’d by the Hammer in the 1st round.

“The Rape Choke” Joe Rogan got into a bit of trouble as he commented on the fight by saying Rape Choke as Matt pounds out the Barbarian en route to a 2nd round TKO April 2nd 2008.

Sweet uppercut!

The spot you never want to be… under the Hammer!

Another one of my all time favorites. The shot speaks for itself but I love the emotion in Matt’s face. People dont realize what goes into training for a fight. This is the moment every fighter does it for!!!

One of the most inspirational and amazing athletes of all time. 3X NCAA Champion 2X World Champion and UFC star, Matt “The Hammer” Hamill. In honor of Matt’s retirement, I will be posting my favorite photos of this amazing career. This is from the press conference for UFC 75 Sept. 8th 2007. Hamill and Bisping face off. In 13 UFC fights, this is the guy Matt wanted the most!

Keeping with the Bisping fight, here they are at the weigh ins for UFC 75.

Bisping had no idea the Tornado that was stepping into the Octagon with him that night. Here Matt is throwing his first ever flying knee. Not bad for a wrestler! LOL

A huuuuuge right hand by Hamill…..

a left…

Bisping under pressure against the cage…

Bisping taken down at will…

Bisping’s oh shit moment!

This is probably the photo and moment that means the most to me. After getting completely robbed in London, I would not allow Matt to leave the cage without raising his hand in victory! I simply told him… you won that fight and the whole world knows it, raised his hand and off we went. We walked in to boo’s and beer cups being thrown at us… we walked out to a standing ovation!!! They dont even make movies that good.

Here’s a great ESPN Article by Chad Dundas regarding Matt’s decision to retire.

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

Matt Hamill will be serving as the official greeter at Brody’s Buddy Ride. Hang with the Hammer as he welcomes all the participants, August 20th 12pm at Firehouse #2 Franklin Ave Clinton NY. Matt will be signing personalized UFC posters free to everyone with a ticket to the event. All proceeds will benefit the National Down Syndrome Society. For more information, visit www.brodysbuddyride.org See you there!

My thoughts and prayers go out to my long time friend and wresting coach Ron Gross and his entire family on the loss of Ron’s father William Gross.

William Gross Obituary

The Cage Ultimate Sports Bar will be co-owned by UFC fighter and Schuyler resident Matt “The Hammer” Hamill and his trainer Duff Holmes and managed by Pat Bailey.

Here’s the news article
Utica Observer-Dispatch

The Cage Ultimate Sports Bar Website

It was 3 years ago in 2008, a beautiful day in Albany NY. I stood on the floor of our State Capitol with two friends of mine, Professional Mixed Martial Arts competitors from NY, Matt Hamill and Matt Serra. We spent the day talking to legislators, members of the assembly and numerous state senators, including our local representative, Senator Joseph Griffo on behalf of our sport Mixed Martial Arts. At the time, Mixed Martial Arts was not regulated in the state of NY and considered illegal. As we spent that day talking about our sport, the safety record, the financial impact it would have on our state and the popularity it was gaining by the minute, we were met with overwhelming support. Matt Hamill in particular made a profound impact on everyone we talked to as they were able to see a man with a physical handicap, (Matt Hamill is Deaf) flourish in a sport where such a handicap would be difficult to overcome. On top of that they were able to see that we are all educated, polite, courteous, respectful, friendly and caring individuals. Quite a different picture than what the small group of people who oppose Mixed Martial Arts would like you to believe. In a recent article in the Utica Observer Dispatch, the writer shows his complete lack of education by making the statement “I’d like to think New York wouldn’t legalize ground and pound punches and other tactics where the defenseless keep taking a beating”. Should I tell the writer about the third man in the ring we call a referee that halts the action the instant someone is not intelligently defending themselves? Or, should I explain to him that Martial Arts like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu not only provide great defense from your back, they make the position quite offensive and many bouts are won from the bottom position? In fact it’s this aspect of our game that makes it the compelling human chess match that it is. I guess I’ll just suggest the writer do more research about the topics he chooses to write about and try to be a little less insulting. He actually compares us to “Prostitution, Bull Fighting, Dog Fighting, Cock Fighting and other unsavory activities”. Here in Utica NY I’m the Head Coach at Mohawk Valley Mixed Martial Arts as well as Matt Hamill. Matt and I have been very active in our local charities getting involved with and raising money for numerous causes including the Americans with Disabilities Act, Relay for Life, Ride for Missing Children, Great American Heart Run/Walk, Diabetes, Brody’s Buddy Ride for Children with Down Syndrome, Toys for Tots, Hospice, ALS, our Military, our local food banks and many more. With such quality people involved, the overwhelming financial impact and the meteoric rise in popularity its mind boggling to find our sport in the same situation it was three years ago. As of today MMA regulation is currently making the rounds through the various committees needed for such a bill to be passed. The time for debating is over. NY is losing millions and millions of dollars while world wide Mixed Martial Arts promotions such as The UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) are holding major events just minutes outside our boarders in places like Newark NJ and Montreal Quebec Canada. Don’t take my word for it, the figures are out there. Do your own research. See how much money was spent in those local economies and see how much tax revenue was generated. You will be very surprised at the millions involved. Our sport has been proven to be safer than every combat sport out there as well as sports you wouldn’t expect like cheerleading! Not to mention we are held to the strictest drug testing and regulation of any professional sport. The sad truth of the matter is this is not an issue about anything I’ve mentioned. Its old fashioned politics… Special interest groups pay lobbyists to get in the pockets of sleazy politicians and they operate on their behalf and not yours. Its time to stand up and make your voice heard. At the end of the day it’s not about if you like the sport of mixed martial arts or not. I’m the first one to say, it’s not for everyone. But then again, nothing is.

It’s about living in a country that provides freedom to buy tickets to a Mixed Martial Arts Event, or freedom to buy tickets to the Ballet. It’s that freedom that made this country great! In New York State that freedom is in jeopardy. I urge you to call your local representative today and tell them you want your freedom protected!!!

Duff Holmes
Head Coach/Owner
Mohawk Valley Mixed Martial Arts
Utica, New York

Hammer Headquarters at The Vineyard/Tony’s Pizza Washington Mills NY this Saturday May 28th.

NO COVER CHARGE!

Join team MVMMA and the rest of our local Hammer fans and watch as Matt writes his next chapter in the history books! 8pm

“Today is a sad day for me. Doug Blubaugh, my great friend, mentor and master since 5th grade passed away in a tragic motorcycle accident at the age of 76. It is heart wrenching for me to see him pass away. He was the greatest ambassador for Wrestling and his contributions to the sport will never be forgotten. Doug dedicated all his sweat and blood to see me become successful. To this day Doug has been influential in my life and most recently spent a week at my house sharpening up my wrestling for my last fight. Thank you Doug and farewell…..”

-Matt Hamill

In the shadowed ruins of Rome’s ancient Basilica, Doug Blubaugh battled the world champion from Iran for the Olympic gold medal. Emamali Habibi had never known defeat. Three times the Persian attacked, each time throwing the young American into danger. Then a swift counterattack from Blubaugh hurled his opponent to his back … suddenly the struggle was ended. Thus did an Oklahoma farm boy reach the apex of a brilliant athletic career, earning the 1960 Olympic gold medal at 160.5 pounds, and with it recognition as the outstanding wrestler in the world. Doug Blubaugh was no stranger to the role of champion. He won NCAA honors for Oklahoma State in 1957 and National AAU Freestyle titles in 1957, when he was named outstanding wrestler, and 1959. A year before his Olympic conquest, he won a gold medal in the 1959 Pan American Games at Chicago, matching the 1955 achievement of his brother, Jack. They were the first brothers to capture Pan Am titles. Blubaugh is remembered, too, for his epic struggles with a former college teammate, Phil Kinyon. Over four years of Freestyle competition, they met 13 times. The first 12 bouts ended in draws, 11 scoreless. Five of these were in the 1960 Olympic trials, before Blubaugh crashed through for the takedown and victory that sent him on to Olympic glory. From a competitive career totaling more than 400 victories against just 17 defeats, Blubaugh turned to coaching and won added respect for his teaching skills and his honesty and dedication. After seven years as an assistant at Michigan State, during which he was Freestyle coach of U. S. teams in the 1971 Pan American Games and World Championships, he spent a decade as head coach at Indiana University. As a champion athlete of awesome achievement, and as a living example to young men of the highest standards of character and integrity, Douglas Morlan Blubaugh is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Join us at Tabu Ultra Lounge at the MGM Grand for The Official Matt Hamill After Fight Party on Saturday May 28, 2011!