Jones Win Rings Hollow for Hamill
Brian Knapp Jun 16, 2010
He walked away the winner, but Matt Hamill
left the cage with a bum shoulder and a renewed respect for the men
who play his game.
Six months have passed since Hamill defeated Jon Jones by disqualification at “The Ultimate Fighter 10” Finale in Las Vegas. Illegal downward elbows from the 22-year-old wunderkind forged the victory for Hamill, who suffered a shoulder separation during a takedown earlier in the fight.
“He gave me a little wakeup call,” Hammill said during a Wednesday
teleconference. “Jon Jones took
me by surprise. He was the first person to take me down. I don’t
feel like I won that fight. Jon Jones did
a great job doing what he did.”
Hamill will lock horns with Keith Jardine at “The Ultimate Fighter 11” Finale this Saturday at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. He claims to have fully recovered from the injury sustained in his encounter with Jones.
A decorated amateur wrestler who has been finished only once in 10 bouts as a professional, the 33-year-old Loveland, Ohio, native has won three in a row since his defeat to former middleweight champion Rich Franklin at UFC 88. Victories over Seth Petruzelli, Mark Munoz and Tim Boetsch anchor his resume. Hamill has no delusions about where he stands in the light heavyweight division.
“I’m not even in the top 20,” Hamill said. “I had to go back to square one. I’m just focused on Keith.”
Jardine believes training on a daily basis with longtime friend and former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans has sufficiently prepared him for anything Hamill plans to throw his way. Evans won a national championship at the junior college level and went on to compete at Michigan State University.
“Me and him have been butting heads since 2005,” Jardine said. “We’re so fiercely competitive and such good friends. He’s helped me get where I’m at now. I’ve been training my wrestling with him for so long that takedown defense has become a little second nature.”
Even so, Jardine has prepared himself for the worst.
“If [Hamill] takes me down, you’ll certainly see my ground game,” he said. “I’m sure it’s going to happen. Whether I try to get back to my feet or try and mix in some submissions, I’m pretty excited about this opportunity.”
Other notes from the teleconference included:
• Court McGee, one of two finalists from Season 11 of the reality series, admitted he had to question his motives once he was selected for the cast, knowing the history of the show and the relationship it shares with alcohol use. “I had to question myself seriously. Was I coming here for the right reasons? I was putting myself in a situation where there would be alcohol, but there’s drugs and alcohol everywhere. This was a huge opportunity to better my career. I came here to fight and win, not drink and party.” McGee, 25, nearly died from a drug overdose five years ago. He has been sober since April 2006;
• Kris McCray, the other finalist from the reality show, returned home to train under Lloyd Irvin in preparation for the finale. “He has a real good system up there. He got me in shape. I felt good in camp. It felt good being healthy while training. Everybody on the show either lost a fight or got injured. That’s how competitive it was. It’s tough fighting every week. It’s rough on your body,” he said. An Ultimate Warrior Challenge veteran, McCray fought five times on during six weeks of filming;
• Jardine admits he thinks of avenging his losses to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Wanderlei Silva, Thiago Silva and others. “I hope to fight every one of those guys, but I have to earn it. That’s what this fight [with Hamill] is all about for me -- just earning my place,” he said. The 34-year-old, who appeared in a recent episode of “Breaking Bad,” took a veiled crack at Jackson when questioned about his acting aspirations. “You won’t see me turn down a fight to be on the ‘A-Team’ or anything like that,” Jardine said.
Six months have passed since Hamill defeated Jon Jones by disqualification at “The Ultimate Fighter 10” Finale in Las Vegas. Illegal downward elbows from the 22-year-old wunderkind forged the victory for Hamill, who suffered a shoulder separation during a takedown earlier in the fight.
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Hamill will lock horns with Keith Jardine at “The Ultimate Fighter 11” Finale this Saturday at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. He claims to have fully recovered from the injury sustained in his encounter with Jones.
“It took me a while to heal,” Hamill said. “Now, the shoulder’s
fine. I’m ready to go.”
A decorated amateur wrestler who has been finished only once in 10 bouts as a professional, the 33-year-old Loveland, Ohio, native has won three in a row since his defeat to former middleweight champion Rich Franklin at UFC 88. Victories over Seth Petruzelli, Mark Munoz and Tim Boetsch anchor his resume. Hamill has no delusions about where he stands in the light heavyweight division.
“I’m not even in the top 20,” Hamill said. “I had to go back to square one. I’m just focused on Keith.”
Jardine believes training on a daily basis with longtime friend and former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans has sufficiently prepared him for anything Hamill plans to throw his way. Evans won a national championship at the junior college level and went on to compete at Michigan State University.
“Me and him have been butting heads since 2005,” Jardine said. “We’re so fiercely competitive and such good friends. He’s helped me get where I’m at now. I’ve been training my wrestling with him for so long that takedown defense has become a little second nature.”
Even so, Jardine has prepared himself for the worst.
“If [Hamill] takes me down, you’ll certainly see my ground game,” he said. “I’m sure it’s going to happen. Whether I try to get back to my feet or try and mix in some submissions, I’m pretty excited about this opportunity.”
Other notes from the teleconference included:
• Court McGee, one of two finalists from Season 11 of the reality series, admitted he had to question his motives once he was selected for the cast, knowing the history of the show and the relationship it shares with alcohol use. “I had to question myself seriously. Was I coming here for the right reasons? I was putting myself in a situation where there would be alcohol, but there’s drugs and alcohol everywhere. This was a huge opportunity to better my career. I came here to fight and win, not drink and party.” McGee, 25, nearly died from a drug overdose five years ago. He has been sober since April 2006;
• Kris McCray, the other finalist from the reality show, returned home to train under Lloyd Irvin in preparation for the finale. “He has a real good system up there. He got me in shape. I felt good in camp. It felt good being healthy while training. Everybody on the show either lost a fight or got injured. That’s how competitive it was. It’s tough fighting every week. It’s rough on your body,” he said. An Ultimate Warrior Challenge veteran, McCray fought five times on during six weeks of filming;
• Jardine admits he thinks of avenging his losses to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Wanderlei Silva, Thiago Silva and others. “I hope to fight every one of those guys, but I have to earn it. That’s what this fight [with Hamill] is all about for me -- just earning my place,” he said. The 34-year-old, who appeared in a recent episode of “Breaking Bad,” took a veiled crack at Jackson when questioned about his acting aspirations. “You won’t see me turn down a fight to be on the ‘A-Team’ or anything like that,” Jardine said.
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