Okay, so I saw this “DQ to Matt Hamill” thing pop up and I was like, “What’s that all about?” I vaguely remembered Matt Hamill was a deaf UFC fighter, and “DQ” usually means disqualification, so I figured it had something to do with a fight. Turns out, I was right! I was watching some mma and Jon Jones vs Matt Hamill hightlights from youtube, so I decided to dig in and really understand how everything went down.
The Setup
First, I watched some clips of the fight itself – Jon Jones vs. Matt Hamill. It was part of The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights Finale, way back in 2009. Jones was this young, up-and-coming fighter, and Hamill was already a pretty well-known guy, especially because of his story.
The Fight
I started by watching the full fight. The begin was Jones clearly dominating. He was all over Hamill, using his reach, throwing crazy kicks, and just generally being super aggressive. Hamill, bless his heart, was trying to hang in there, but he was getting pieced up.
The Takedown
The key moment started with a takedown. Jones got Hamill to the ground, no problem. He got into full mount – which is basically the worst position for Hamill to be in. Then, Jones started raining down blows.
The Infamous Elbows
This is where the controversy comes in. Jones started throwing elbows. Now, elbows are totally legal in MMA, BUT there’s a rule – the “12-6” rule. You can’t strike with the point of your elbow in a straight-down, 12-to-6 motion (like a clock hand). And, well, Jones threw some elbows that looked very 12-6.
The Referee’s Reaction
The referee, Steve Mazzagatti, he jumped in. At first, I thought he was stopping the fight because Hamill was clearly hurt. He asked Hamill if he could continue, and Hamill, couldn’t respond. He was messed up, his face was bloody, and he was clearly in pain.
The Disqualification
Initially, Mazzagatti signaled a TKO victory for Hamill. Then, he seemed to get some more input and suddenly, the fight turned into a win by disqualification for Hamill. Jones looked shocked, everyone was confused. Turns out, Mazzagatti reviewed the replay, saw those 12-6 elbows, and DQ’d Jones.
My Takeaway
- I get why the rule exists – to protect fighters from potentially devastating strikes.
- It was pretty evident that the elbows were illegal. I watched them a lot times!
- It’s a bummer for Jones, because it’s his only “loss,” but rules are rules.
- It was such an intense fight!
So, “DQ to Matt Hamill” – that’s the story. A dominant performance by Jon Jones, ruined by some illegal elbows, leading to a very unusual disqualification victory for Matt Hamill. Crazy stuff!
