Bloody Elbow, for MMA and UFC news

"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"

From the Morning Line at Cincinnati.com: "HE SAYS HE’S DONE AND THAT’S GOOD. Local UFC man made good, Matt Hamill, Loveland HS grad, is going to retire. That’s a good and wise move, given he has lost his last 2 fights. The one Saturday night was especially horrific. Matt was taken down in the 2nd period and blasted repeatedly in the face and head. By the time the ref stopped the bout, Matt was defenseless. I know lots of people enjoy this sport. But when a guy you know is getting brutalized, it’s absolutely the worst thing I’ve ever witnessed. Matt will be OK. He has a gym in Utica, NY, is part owner of a new sports bar, I believe, and has had a movie done on his life. I’m very glad he’s done with ultimate fighting. No disrespect to those who practice it and follow it, but it’s way over the top brutal and, to me, senseless."