UFC and “Ultimate Fighter” veteran and fan favorite Matt Hamill will be back in action this spring. 

Hamill (13-8) will fight for the first time in more than a year, and it will be for a title.  The 41-year-old Ohioan is set to take on Teddy Ash (10-3) in the main event at Unified 33, the promotion recently announced.  Hamill and Ash will fight for the light heavyweight title. 

Unified 33 will take place May 11 at River Cree Resort & Casino in Enoch, Alberta, Canada.  In the co-feature, UFC veteran Shane Campbell (14-6) will defend his lightweight title against Stephen Beaumont (9-2). 

This past April, Hamill picked up his first victory since September 2012 when he knocked out fellow UFC vet Luiz Cane in just 38 seconds at Fight2Night2 in Brazil.  Prior to that, Hamill, who became notable for being the UFC’s first legally deaf fighter, had lost six of his previous seven fights. 

Hamill was a cast member on Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” then joined the UFC after the show.  He won eight of his first 10 fights in the promotion and only lost to future middleweight champion Michael Bisping by split decision and former champion Rich Franklin.  Notable among those eight wins was a disqualification victory over Jon Jones in 2009 that stands as the only loss on Jones’ record. 

But in 2011, things turned rough for Hamill.  He dropped a decision to Quinton Jackson at UFC 130, then was knocked out by Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 133.  More than a year later, he bounced back with a decision win over Roger Hollett, but then lost a decision to Thiago Silva in what was his final UFC fight.  After two years of retirement, he returned for WSOF but was submitted by Vinny Magalhaes.  Then he had a pair of knockout losses to Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou and Julian Marquez under the Venator FC and Combate Americas banners before the win over Cane. 

Ash will be fighting in front of his home fans in Alberta.  He has four straight wins and victories in six of his past seven fights.  His past three have been by knockout, including the last two in the first round.  The 28-year-old is 4-1 under the Unified banner and has eight of his 10 career wins by stoppage. 

For more on the upcoming MMA schedule, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.