Deaf UFC Fighter To Give Motivational Speech Friday at St. Scholastica

The College Of St. Scholastica will welcome a special guest Friday, and it will be an inspirational way to start your weekend.

Matt "The Hammer" Hamill, a deaf MMA and UFC fighter, will share his story and give a motivational speech at 7:30 p.m. Friday, February 10 in the CSS Mitchell Auditorium.

Hamill is expected to speak about his life and his journey to become a successful wrestler and mixed martial arts fighter. He’ll give a motivational speech aloud and using sign language, and interpreters will be on hand to translate when needed.

Matt "The Hammer" Hamill won three NCAA Division III National Championships in wrestling while attending the Rochester Institute of Technology. In 1997, he won gold medals in Greco-Roman style and freestyle wrestling in the Deaflympics in Denmark. He won a silver medal in Greco-Roman wrestling and a gold medal in freestyle wrestling in the 2001 Deaflympics in Rome, Italy.

The 2010 movie “The Hammer” was based on Hamill’s life story.