Hamill the selfless star

Otherwise, you are going to miss your flight or be woefully late for the meeting.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight contender is such a friendly, decent and caring man that he cannot pass up an opportunity to chat up anyone who sidles up and says hello.

Eben Kostbar, who is writing and producing an independent film about Hamill that will be released sometime next year, got a first-hand look at Hamill's soft side during an appearance Hamill made at a high school wrestling tournament in California several years ago.

Hamill, who is deaf, was invited to appear as a guest at the Riverside School for the Deaf's wrestling tournament. A high school wrestling tournament can be a long, drawn out affair.

Hamill, though, not only watched every match, Kostbar said: he spent time with the wrestlers, offering advice, encouragement and, most significantly, friendship.

"Matt is a world-class athlete, but so are Kobe Bryant and Barry Bonds," Kostbar said. "But that is just one side of him.

"I know it sounds cheesy and 100 per cent cliché, but I've never met a person so humble and so selfless anywhere. Matt is a celebrity and if you tell people he's coming, they get all excited because it's this famous UFC fighter they're going to meet.

"Matt doesn't see himself that way, though. In his mind, he's no different than anyone. He's the kind of a guy who cares about what's going on in someone else's life. I saw him with those kids and he was totally immersed in every conversation he was having.

"They gave him a little money (to appear), but he spent the entire tournament there and was so great with those kids. It's something so amazing when you see it, you won't forget."

Hamill will fight unbeaten Mark Munoz in one of the televised bouts on the pay-per-view card of UFC 96 in Columbus, Ohio.

A decorated wrestler who is a three-time NCAA Division 3 champ and two-time gold medallist at the World Championships for the Deaf, Hamill has forged a 5-2 record as a mixed martial artist. That alone has drawn him legions of fans.

Hamill's only losses were a controversial split decision defeat to rival Michael Bisping in London at UFC 75 and another to friend Rich Franklin last year at UFC 89.

His disability puts him at a distinct disadvantage, because while other fighters can listen to their coaches during a round and react accordingly, Hamill doesn't have such ability. Even getting instructions during the one-minute rest period between rounds is an enormous challenge.

For most of his fights, trainer Duff Holmes has brought a signer into the cage with him to relay instructions to Hamill. But the translation took so long that Hamill often got only part of the message.

On Saturday at UFC 96, there will be no signer. Hamill will have to read Holmes's lips and, more likely, his emotions. They did that for the first time at UFC 92, when Hamill returned from a poor performance in the loss to Franklin to meet Reese Andy.

Holmes was not happy with Hamill's performance in the first round and let him know it.

"With the interpreter, you have 40 seconds at most and it just didn't really work for us," Holmes said. "We decided to do it ourselves in the Reese Andy fight. And when Matt came back to the corner after the first round, I looked at him and was angry and said, 'What the **** was that?'

"Matt didn't do what we'd talked about and I let him know I wasn't happy about it. But he went out there in the second round and it was pretty obvious he'd gotten the message."

Hamill overpowered Andy in that second round, tearing into him at the bell and quickly finishing him. It is one of the few times that Hamill has benefited from his coach's instructions during a fight.

Those sitting cage-side during an MMA fight can easily hear the rat-a-tat of the corner shouting out instructions and frequently can see a fighter react to them. Hamill does not get that opportunity for in-fight coaching because of his disability, though he shrugs it off as no problem.

It is not easy, though, for Holmes, to watch when he feels he could offer help and cannot.

"It's one of the most helpless feelings on Earth," Holmes said. "It's horrible. It's like you're watching someone drown and you can't help."

Hamill has always found a way to help himself. He has become an inspiration to thousands of deaf people with the way that he has overcome his handicap and made himself a success.

He has also worked hard at his communicative skills and testified in front of the New York state legislature in May in favour of a bill being pushed by the UFC that would legalise MMA in the state.

Hamill, who appeared along with former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra, clearly made a positive impression on the state legislators who heard him.

"He's a charismatic guy and he's a guy people really tend to gravitate to," Ratner said. "He did a very good job. He was very impressive."

He is more impressive as a fighter, but he is most impressive as a human being. And in the end, that is ultimately what is most important in life.

"I'm fortunate I am in a position to help people and affect their lives," Hamill said. "If I can be an inspiration to someone else and help them overcome a problem in their life, it feels just like a big win (in a fight)."