Issue 001

March 2005

Matt’s childhood was centred around farm life, particularly riding horses competitively. But it was on having to choose a subject for gym class in High School that Matt decided to try wrestling. He went on to try out for the school team... and it changed his life forever.

While Matt was head coach at the University of Nebraska he found himself competing against Randy Couture’s team from Oklahoma State. This meeting developed into a great friendship between them. So much so that when Matt fell out of favour with the new coach at Nebraska University, he decided to move back home to Oregon and train with his new best mate.

Petty politics made gaining a place on the Olympic wrestling team a battle in itself, but Matt’s perseverance eventually got him through. The final Olympic trials saw him having to beat a wrestler twice, as they did not see him win the first time. After having to jump through hoops for the selection committee, the Sydney Olympic Games themselves was a breeze. Matt’s chilled, cool demeanour went on to help him win a silver medal.

After the frenzy of the Olympics had died down, Matt turned his back on wrestling and started looking towards other avenues. He rejected professional wrestling (WWF, WCW, etc), as he felt he neither had the build or looks to make a living from the sport (but you make your own mind up about that!). It was, however, Randy Couture’s success in MMA that inspired Matt to make a career within the sport.

Matt’s MMA career started positively, winning his first seven fights against some top names like Travis Fulton, Phil Baroni and Pat Miletich. He became a regular at the UFC, fighting on nine occasions within three years. This placed him as the top contender for the UFC Middleweight Title, but in August last year he plummeted to the lowest point in his career thus far. Matt was defeated by David Terrell at UFC 49, by a KO in just 24 seconds.

Matt wanted to bounce straight back and put this setback behind him, but as he didn’t get the call from the UFC, he decided to take the fight against Mark Weir in Cage Rage 9. Bounce back he did, winning by TKO (doctor’s stoppage) at the end of the first round. Matt then proceeded to challenge Lee Murray to ‘get it on!’ — so watch out for this potentially entertaining bout at the next Cage Rage in February.

Matt and Randy are currently both part owners of one of the top training academies within the US, Team Quest and also their MMA promotions company, Sportfight, which staged the first sanctioned show in Oregon State.

Height:

6’0” (183cm)

Weight:

185lbs (84kg)

MMA record:

12 - 3 - 0 (win-loss-draw)

Born:

May 17, 1970

Lives:

Oregon City, Oregon, USA

Nickname:

The Law 

Fight team:

Team Quest

Major awards:

World Cup Wrestling Champion, five times National Wrestling Champion, three times

Pan-Am Wrestling Champion and Silver medal in 2000 Olympics for Greco-Roman Wrestling

Best thing about being a fighter:

Getting paid to beat people up!

Favourite.food:

Fried oysters

Favourite film:

Cool Hand Luke

Hobbies:

Salmon fishing

Who or what is on calendar at home:

Massey Ferguson Tractors (he’s obviously still just a country boy at heart!)

Philosophy in life:

Do unto others as you would be done to yourself

Proudest moment:

Marrying his wife, Angie 

How he would describe himself, if applying for an internet bride:

Good looking, sexy and randy fighter with a massive member