Matt Lindland
"The Law"
- Olympic Silver Medalist — Greco-Roman Wrestling, 2000 Sydney Olympics (76 kg)
- Professional MMA record: 22-9 (UFC, Strikeforce, Bodog, IFL)
- Former USA Greco-Roman Wrestling National Team Head Coach (2014–2022)
- 2001 World Championship Silver Medalist
- Co-founder of Team Quest with Randy Couture
- BJJ Black Belt under Renzo Gracie
- National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee
- Author: 'Dirty Boxing for Mixed Martial Arts' (Victory Belt, 2009)
Olympic Silver Medalist, UFC Veteran, Hall of Famer
They call him “The Law” because nothing stops him. Matt Lindland won the 2000 Olympic silver medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at 76 kg in Sydney, then followed it with a World Championship silver in 2001. Two of the highest honors in international wrestling, back to back.
From a Car Lot in Gresham to the UFC
Lindland didn’t wait around after the Olympics. By December 2000, he was already making his UFC debut at UFC 29. He and Randy Couture, teammates on the U.S. World Greco-Roman Wrestling Team, co-founded Team Quest in a used car lot in Gresham, Oregon. That gym became one of the first serious MMA training camps in America and produced over 40 professional fighters who competed in the UFC, PRIDE, and Strikeforce.
Lindland compiled a 22-9 professional MMA record fighting at middleweight. He fought for the UFC middleweight title at UFC 37, challenged Fedor Emelianenko (moving up two weight classes to do it), and faced names like Vitor Belfort, Robbie Lawler, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.
His fighting philosophy was simple: “Take ‘em down, tie ‘em up, and tap ‘em out.”
What made Lindland dangerous wasn’t knockout power or flashy submissions. It was what happened in the clinch. His Greco-Roman background gave him chest-to-chest control that strikers couldn’t solve. He’d pin opponents against the cage, grind them down with short punches, elbows, and knees, break their posture, and take them down when they stopped fighting back. That system — dirty boxing from the Greco clinch — became a blueprint that fighters still study today.
Building the Next Generation
After retiring from competition, Lindland spent eight years as the head coach and CEO of USA Wrestling’s Greco-Roman National Team (2014-2022). Under his leadership, the program produced four World Championship medalists, three Pan American Games champions, and qualified athletes for both the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.
In 2021, Renzo Gracie promoted Lindland to BJJ black belt. In 2013, he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, and in 2025 he was named a Distinguished Member.
He also wrote the book on dirty boxing — literally. Dirty Boxing for Mixed Martial Arts (Victory Belt Publishing, 2009) lays out the complete system of wrestling-to-clinch-to-strikes that he built his career on.
What Makes Lindland Different as an Instructor
Lindland’s FightScience course, The Law, covers MMA wrestling from both sides: takedown defense and offensive takedowns integrated with dirty boxing.
Most wrestling-for-MMA instruction treats striking and grappling as separate skills. Lindland teaches them as one system. Strikes create reactions. Reactions create takedown openings. Takedowns create ground control. Ground control creates finishes. Every piece connects.
His course breaks into two volumes:
- Volume 1: Wrestling Takedown Defense for MMA — How to stop wrestlers from taking you down, and how to score off their failed attempts
- Volume 2: Wrestling Offensive Takedowns & Dirty Boxing — Using strikes to set up takedowns, clinch control positions, and the complete dirty boxing system
Available in The Complete MMA Fighting System for $299.