The trash talk ahead of the UFC 121 battle between Tito Ortiz and Matt Hamill turned ugly, with controversy brewing over how Ortiz addressed Hamill’s deafness. The battle between Hamill and his “Ultimate Fighter” coach and previous mentor already had a lot of intrigue, and given the heated build, it became a true attraction on the stacked card.
Would Matt Hamill prove the student has become the master? Or, would Tito Ortiz back up his trash talk and score his first victory since 2006?
The result follows:
Matt Hamill b. Tito Ortiz via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
*Story of the fight: For much of the first round, Tito Ortiz seemed to be operating on a different level. His punches were not doing much damage, but he moved more quickly and smoothly than his opponent, and he was definitely getting the better of the striking. Hamill did score an opening frame takedown, but as he could not keep Ortiz down or do any damage, there should have been no question that the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” claimed the opening part of the fight (making the 30-27 card baffling).
Then, things started to change. Hamill started to get more confident on his feet, and the striking battle started to even up. More importantly, Hamill put Ortiz on his back with a big takedown late in the round; this time, Ortiz had no answer and absorbed damage on the ground.
In round three, Ortiz’s heart and energy seemed out of it, and Hamill started making some clear progress with his left hand. Already likely to win the fight based on his stand-up, Hamill sealed the deal with a pivotal takedown late in the round. When the bell rang, Ortiz knew he had lost and raised Hamill’s hand in victory.