Matt Ghaffari


Siamak "Matt" Ghaffari is an Iran-born American amateur wrestler, MMA Fighter and professional wrestler. Matt Ghaffari was a two-time USA Olympic team member, obtaining a silver medal in the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games. Ghaffari is the most accomplished Greco-Roman wrestler in U.S.A. history with three American records.

Early life

Born in Tehran Iran Ghaffari came to the United States of America at a young age, he attended Paramus High School in Paramus, New Jersey.

Amateur wrestling career

Representing the United States at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympic Games and 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games, Ghaffari reached the final of the heavyweight Men's Greco-Roman 130 kg division, where he lost a very close match 0-1 to Russia's 2-time Olympic champion Aleksandr Karelin in overtime. Ghaffari is holder of 3 American Records; the only USA Greco-Roman wrestler with a total of four World and Olympic Medals, plus 4-time World Cup Champion, also 9-time Pan-American Champion! All 3 are USA Wrestling Records. Matt was 7-time USA National Wrestling Champion and 2-time USA Olympic Committee Greco-Roman Athlete of the Year.

Mixed martial arts career

In 2002, Ghaffari fought in Tokyo Dome in front of 28,000 spectators a mixed martial arts bout in UFO- Universal Fighting-Arts Organization against judo Olympic Silver Medalist Naoya Ogawa. Ghaffari managed to take Ogawa down and attack him with a brief ground and pound, but back to standing, Ogawa landed a punch which shifted Matt's left eye contact lens and forced him to quit.

Mixed martial arts record

Professional wrestling career

In 1996, Ghaffari was scouted by professional wrestling promotion World Championship Wrestling and was featured in several vignettes, but did not sign up with the company.
After his stint in MMA, Ghaffari stated to work in Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE, where he won the NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship with Tom Howard on December 15, 2002 by defeating Shinya Hashimoto and old opponent Naoya Ogawa. They held the championship until April 29, 2003, when they lost it to Hashimoto and Ogawa.
In 2004, Ghaffari made an apparition for HUSTLE, pinning Ogawa after a beatdown from the heel faction Monster Army.

Championships and accomplishments