Name Matt Lindland
Nickname The Law
Association Team Quest
Weight Class Middleweight (185 lbs.)
Height 6′ 0″ (183cm)
Style Wrestling
Birth Date May 17, 1970
Fighting Out Of Portland, Oregon
Country USA
Matt Lindland Pictures Official Website

”’Matthew James Lindland”’ is an American mixed martial artist who competes as a Middleweight, Olympic wrestler, and politician. He won the Oregon Republican Party’s nomination for the Oregon House of Representatives, district 52 seat on May 20, 2008, in a close race.

== Professional Record ==

Record 22 – 9 – 0 (Win â€Â“ Loss â€Â“ Draw)
Wins 8 (T)KOs
7 Submissions
6 Decisions
1 Other
Losses 4 (T)KOs
4 Submissions
1 Decisions
Result Opponent Method Event Title Date Round Time Notes
Loss Mamed Khalidov Technical Submission (Guillotine Choke) KSW 16: Konfrontacja 5/21/2011 1 1:35
Loss Robbie Lawler KO (Punches) Strikeforce Henderson vs Babalu 2 12/04/2010 1 0:50
Win Kevin Casey TKO (Punches) Strikeforce Challengers 8 Lindland vs Casey 5/22/2010 3 3:41
Loss Ronaldo Souza Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) Strikeforce Evolution 12/19/2009 1 4:18 Strikeforce debut
Loss Vitor Belfort KO (Punches) Affliction Day of Reckoning 1/24/2009 1 0:37
Win Fabio Nascimento Decision (Unanimous) Affliction Banned 7/19/2008 3 5:00
Loss Fedor Emelianenko Submission (Armbar) Bodog Fight: Clash of the Nations 4/14/2007 1 2:58 Emelianenko competes two weight classes above Lindland
Win Carlos Newton Submission (Guillotine Choke) IFL: Houston 2/02/2007 2 1:43 IFL Super-fight; unaffiliated with IFL team system
Win Jeremy Horn TKO (Punches) IFL: Portland 9/09/2006 2 0:21 IFL Super-fight; unaffiliated with IFL team system
Loss Quinton Jackson Decision (Split) WFA: King of the Streets 7/22/2006 3 5:00 Jackson competes a weight class above Lindland
Win Mike Van Arsdale Submission (Guillotine Choke) Raze MMA: Fight Night 4/29/2006 1 3:38
Win Fabio Leopoldo Submission (Rear Naked Choke) GFC: Team Gracie vs Team Hammer House 3/03/2006 3 3:25
Win Antonio Schembri TKO (Punches) CR 14: Punishment 12/03/2005 3 3:33
Win Joe Doerksen Decision (Unanimous) UFC 54 Boiling Point 8/20/2005 3 5:00
Win Travis Lutter Submission (Guillotine Choke) UFC 52 Couture vs Liddell 2 4/16/2005 2 3:32
Win Landon Showalter Submission (Armbar) SF 8: Justice 1/08/2005 1 2:43
Win Mark Weir TKO (Doctor Stoppage) CR 9: No Mercy 11/27/2004 1 5:00
Loss David Terrell KO (Punches) UFC 49 Unfinished Business 8/21/2004 1 0:24
Win Tony Fryklund Decision (Unanimous) ROTR 5: Rumble on the Rock 5 5/07/2004 3 5:00
Win Falaniko Vitale TKO (Punches) UFC 45 Revolution 11/21/2003 3 4:23
Loss Falaniko Vitale TKO (Slam) UFC 43 Meltdown 6/06/2003 1 1:56 Lindland attempted to slam Vitale, knocking himself out
Win Phil Baroni Decision (Unanimous) UFC 41 Onslaught 2/28/2003 3 5:00
Win Ivan Salaverry Decision (Unanimous) UFC 39 The Warriors Return 9/27/2002 3 5:00
Loss Murilo Bustamante Submission (Guillotine Choke) UFC 37 High Impact 5/10/2002 3 1:33 For UFC Middleweight Championship
Win Pat Miletich TKO (Punches) UFC 36 Worlds Collide 3/22/2002 1 3:09
Win Phil Baroni Decision (Majority) UFC 34 High Voltage 11/02/2001 3 5:00
Win Ricardo Almeida DQ [[UFC 31 Locked & Loaded]] 5/04/2001 3 4:21
Win Yoji Anjo TKO (Punches) UFC 29 Defense of the Belts 12/16/2000 1 2:58
Win Travis Fulton Submission (Choke) IFC 6: Battle at Four Bears 9/20/1997 1 22:13
Win Mark Waters Submission (Punches) IFC 6: Battle at Four Bears 9/20/1997 1 2:20
Win Karo Davtyan TKO (Punches) WFF: World Fighting Federation 2/14/1997 1 8:34

== Collegiate Wrestling ==
Lindland started wrestling at age 15. He wrestled at the University of Nebraska winning the Big Eight title at 158 in 1993 and becoming an All-American. He represented the United States in Greco-Roman Wrestling at the 2000 Summer Olympics in the 69â€Â“76 kg weight category, winning the silver medal.

Before he competed in the Olympics, Lindland was notable for having secured his spot on the US Olympic team through the courts. In the finals of the United States Olympic trials, Lindland lost to Keith Sieracki, who Lindland had accused of tripping him (under the rules of Greco-Roman wrestling, athletes are not permitted the use of their legs for advantage or defense of offensive moves). After appealing, an arbitrator ordered a rematch for Lindland and Sieracki, in which Lindland won 8-0.

The USOC however sought to keep Sieracki on the team, and appealed in federal court. A federal district judge, then a three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, both decided in Lindland’s favor. A request for a hearing by the USOC in the Supreme Court of the United States was denied, which settled Lindland’s status on the team. Lindland would later earn his nickname “The Law” from the protracted case.

== Mixed Martial Arts ==
Lindland starting mixed martial arts training with Randy Couture, Dan Henderson and others at Team Quest. He won four fights in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) before losing to Murilo Bustamante in a championship match.

Lindland’s next loss came at the hands of Falaniko Vitale, who Matt Lindland attempted to slam, only to knock himself out in the process. At UFC 54 Lindland was dropped from the UFC roster for breaking one of the sponsorship and advertising-related terms of his contract by wearing an unapproved T-shirt at the weigh-ins. After his dismissal Lindland continued to corner fighters at UFC events such as in B.J. Penn‘s bout against Georges.St. Pierre. He has also continued his professional MMA career in IFL and Bodog Fight with five wins and two losses, with the two losses coming outside of his weightclass against the future UFC Light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson and the Pride Heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko. After his loss to Jackson, Lindland joined the International Fight League (IFL), which also marked Lindland’s debut as an IFL team coach â€Â“ he fought against top twenty middleweight Jeremy Horn. Lindland won by TKO early in the second round. He then beat Carlos Newton at IFL: Houston by submission.

Lindland defeated Fabio Negao via unanimous decision on July 19, 2008 at Affliction Banned in Anaheim, California. At Affliction Day of Reckoning on the 24 Jan 2009, he was defeated by Vitor Belfort and suffered a devastating KO loss. Lindland is the former coach of the Portland Wolfpack in the International Fight League.

There is currently a documentary called “Fighting Politics”, being filmed about Matt and his MMA career.

On April 13, 2009, Lindland signed a three fight deal with Strikeforce and was placed on their Strikeforce Evolution card on December 19, 2009. He faceed off against Ronaldo Souza, who showed a much improved stand-up, along with Souza’s always dangerous ground-game, forcing Lindland to tap-out due to an Arm Triangle Choke at the end of the first round.

His next fight with Strikeforce took place at ShoMMA 8 Lindland vs Casey where he faced off against Kevin Casey in the main event. In much need of a win, Lindland took the fight to the mat often, out-wrestling his opponent for much of the fight. Casey did almost lock in a Rear Naked Choke in the first round, but Lindland resisted the maneuver and rolled into his opponent and exploded into his own striking attack. The momentum changed permanently in the third round, as Lindland dominated his opponent, and by the third round Lindland had Casey pinned on the mat, where he reigned down punches until the fight was stopped at 3:41 of the third round.

== Personal Life and Political Aspiration ==
Matt and his wife Angie have two children, a son named James and a daughter named Robin.

On an episode of IFL: Battleground, Matt said that he and his wife were married young and that they were originally expecting triplets in 1992 but only his son James survived due to complications.

On March 11, 2008, Lindland filed as a Republican to run for the Oregon House of Representatives in District 52. The seat was formerly held by Republican Patti Smith. Lindland defeated fellow Republican Phyllis Thiemann in the May 20, 2008 primary, 58 to 42 percent. He advanced to the general election and was defeated by Hood River, Oregon Democrat Suzanne VanOrman.

== Grappling ==
* ADCC World Submission Wrestling Championships
* Record of opponents:
** Won: Yushin Okami.
** Lost: Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza, Fabricio Werdum (armbar)
* Collegiate Results NJCAA Collegiate Championships
** 1991 158 lbs: 1st place
* Freestyle Results USA University Freestyle Championships
** 1994 163 lbs: 1st place
** 1992 163 lbs: 1st place
* Greco-Roman Results FILA World Championships Greco-Roman Results
** 2001 187 lbs: 2nd place
** 1998 167 lbs: 6th place
* USA Senior Greco-Roman Championships
** 2001 187.2 lbs: 1st place
** 2000 167.5 lbs: 1st place
** 1999 167.5 lbs: 1st place
** 1998 167.5 lbs: 1st place
** 1997 163 lbs: 1st place
* US Olympic Team Greco-Roman Results
** 2000 167.5 lbs: silver medal