Background and career
Siamak "Matt" Ghaffari ( gə-FAR-ee; 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. He also achieved two silver medals and one bronze in the World Championships. Ghaffari finished his career with the most Greco-Roman World and Olympic medals by a United States wrestler. He is considered the greatest Greco-Roman wrestler in American history, and is regarded as the standard for Greco-Roman wrestling in the United States.
In all, he won six national championships, four World Cups, two Pan American Games, seven Pan American Championships (including titles in 1990 and 1992 in freestyle wrestling), and 13 Grand Prix tournament titles. Coaches Anatoly Petrusian, Steve Fraser. Strength and Conditioning Trainer Jakob Panotas. He further represented his adopted country six times in World Championships and was twice named the United States Olympic Committee Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year, in 1996 and 1998.
