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Siamak "Matt" Ghaffari (/ɡəˈfɑːri/ gə-FAR-ee;[1] Persian: سیامک غفاری, Persian pronunciation: [siːɒːmæk-e ɢæˈffɒːɾiː]; born November 11, 1961, in Tehran, Imperial State of Iran) is an Iranian-born American Greco-Roman wrestler, MMA Fighter and professional wrestler. Ghaffari was a two-time USA Olympic team member, obtaining a silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games. Ghaffari finished his career with the most Greco-Roman World and Olympic medals by a United States wrestler. Also, Ghaffari holds 3 American Records the Most World and Olympic total medals, plus he was 4-time World Cup Champion, also 9-time Pan-American Champion. Ghaffari is the 2-time US Olympian and 2-time US Olympic team alternate. 1996 - Hugh O’Brian Youth Foundation Inspiration Award Winner, with Muhammad Ali 1996 – Colorado Sports Hall of Fame’s Amateur Athlete of the Year 2003 - Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame 2006 - Cleveland State Athletics Hall of Fame 2013 - National Wrestling Hall of Fame 2014 - Eastern Wrestling League Hall of Fame

In all, Ghaffari won Seven National Championships, four World Cups, two Pan-American Games, seven Pan-American championships (including double titles in 1989-90), and 13 Grand Prix tournament titles. He represented his adopted country six times in World Championships and was twice named the United States Olympic Committee Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year.

Early life

Born in Tehran, Iran, Ghaffari came to the United States at a young age, he attended Paramus High School in Paramus, New Jersey.[2]

Greco-Roman wrestling career

He was runner-up to Aleksandr Karelin at the 1995 Karelin Cup.[3] While 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 at the latter, where he lost 0–1 to Russian overwhelming favorite Aleksandr Karelin in overtime.[2] Ghaffari was a seven-time United States wrestling champion and a two-time USA Olympic Committee Greco-Roman Athlete of the Year.[4]

Ghaffari is currently the only American to win a combined four World and Olympic medals in Greco-Roman. Also, he holds 3 American Records the Most World and Olympic total medals, plus he was 4-time World Cup Champion, also 9-time Pan-American Champion. Ghaffari is the 2-time US Olympian and 2-time US Olympic team alternate.  

In 2013, Ghaffari was inducted in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member.[5]

Mixed martial arts career

In 2002, Ghaffari fought in the Tokyo Dome in front of 28,000 spectators at 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.[6]

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
1 match 0 wins 1 loss
By knockout 0 0
By submission 0 0
By decision 0 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 0–1 Japan Naoya Ogawa TKO (punch) UFO Legend August 8, 2002 1 0:56 Tokyo, Japan

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.[8]

After his stint in MMA, Ghaffari started to work in the 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.[9] They held the championship until April 29, 2003, when they lost it to Hashimoto and Ogawa.[9]

In 2004, Ghaffari made an appearance for HUSTLE, pinning Ogawa after a beatdown from the heel faction Monster Army (Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Dusty Rhodes Jr., Giant Silva and Dan Bobish).[10]

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. ^ "Matt Ghaffari". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  2. ^ a b Robbins, Liz. "OLYMPICS; Wrestler Two Victories From Dream", The New York Times, June 24, 2000. Accessed October 17, 2007. "To advance, Ghaffari had to pull out a trick he first used two decades ago at Paramus High School in New Jersey.... At 38, and a loss away from retirement, Ghaffari is still crafty and accomplished, compiling more Olympic and world championship medals than any other Greco-Roman wrestler with four."
  3. ^ "Matt Ghaffari". www.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  4. ^ "Honoree: Matt Ghaffari". National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  5. ^ Matt Ghaffari. National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  6. ^ Hawaii Martial Arts News & Rumors – August News Part 2
  7. ^ a b c d "Matt Ghaffari". wrestlingdata.com. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  8. ^ Dimitri Groell, Jan Niedbala, La face cachée du catch: Ring, Coulisses & Business
  9. ^ a b c "NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Champions". Pro Wrestling ZERO-1. Archived from the original on July 28, 2013. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  10. ^ "HUSTLE Results: 2004" (in German). PuroLove.com. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  11. ^ "NWA ZERO-ONE O-300 Super Heavyweight Champions". cagematch.net. Retrieved July 6, 2016.

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