Mark Schultz

At 63 years old, Mark Schultz has this physical status:

Mark Schultz attended Palo Alto High, where he was coached by Ed Hart. He competed first in gymnastics, winning the Northern California All-Around Gymnastics Championships for his age group. During his junior year in high school, he moved to Ashland, Oregon and switched to wrestling. After one semester he transferred back to Palo Alto, but was declared ineligible, ending the year with a 4–6 record at 130 lbs. As a senior he did not win any tournaments until the state qualifiers where Schultz won the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (9 schools), the Region (20 schools), the Central Coast Section (90 schools), and the California State (1000 schools) at 159 lbs. Many people mistakenly attribute Mark's rapid improvement to his brother, but Mark never worked out with Dave until the summer following Mark's senior year. Mark was named Palo Alto High School "Athlete of the Year" in 1978. Mark finished his high school career with a record of 34-8. He is the only California High School State Champion in history never to win a tournament prior to the state qualifiers. In contrast, Mark's brother Dave Schultz had the greatest high school senior year in U.S. history. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame gives out an award each year to the best wrestler from every state and one for the entire country called the "Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award." The Schultz brothers won more NCAA, World, and Olympic titles than any brother combination in U.S. history.

Schultz was voted by his peers "College Wrestler of the decade" in the book "The Golden Era of Amateur Wrestling: 1980's" by Reginald Rowe. Schultz attended UCLA and went 18-8 at 150 & 158 lbs his freshman year. He transferred to the University of Oklahoma, redshirted, and in the following three years (1981–83) won three NCAA Championships. Schultz was the NCAA Champion his sophomore year at 167 lbs. His junior year Schultz moved up to 177 lbs where he faced two-time NCAA Champion (1980, 1981) Ed Banach. Former NCAA Champion (at 167 lbs in 1980) Matt Reiss also moved up to 177 lbs and placed 8th. Banach was on track to become the first 4-time NCAA champion in history; however, Schultz beat Banach 16-8 in "one of, if not the best, NCAA finals match of all time" and was named Outstanding Wrestler for the tournament. In 1983 Mark Schultz set the University of Oklahoma record for most victories (27) in an undefeated season and was named Oklahoma Student-Athlete of the year.

In 1984, Mark and Dave Schultz both won Olympic Gold in wrestling events, as did the American twin Banach brothers. The following year, Mark won the World Championships and faced competitors from all the Eastern bloc countries who had boycotted the 1984 Olympics. In the World finals, Mark built a 10-2 lead after one minute and won 10-5. Mark Schultz is the only 1984 Olympic Champion to win the 1985 World Championships; his brother Dave was the only 1984 Olympic Champion to have won the 1983 World Championships. When Schultz won another World Championship in 1987, he became the first Olympic Champion to win two additional World titles; he tied Lee Kemp's U.S. record for World golds. In 1991, Mark Schultz, Lee Kemp, and John Smith were in the Guinness Book of World Records as "Most World or Olympic titles by a U.S. wrestler." Mark intentionally threw the last wrestling match of his career in the 1988 Olympics. Mark was working as an Assistant Coach at Villanova University and competing for Team Foxcatcher, a club formed by multi-millionaire John E. du Pont. John du Pont threatened Mark one day by saying "I'm going to ruin your career" in a locker room witnessed by Oklahoma NCAA Champion Dan Chaid. After that Mark decided to quit Team Foxcatcher after the 1988 Olympics. At the Olympic Trials Mark made the 1988 Olympic Team in the most dominating performance of his life defeating 2-time NCAA Wrestling Champion and NCAA Outstanding Wrestler Mike Sheets 13-1. During the tournament it occurred to Mark it would be immoral to give John du Pont the prestige and status of "producing" an Olympic Champion so Mark threw the match 14-0 to his opponent from Turkey. Mark never wrestled again.

After eight years in retirement from wrestling competition, Schultz became the first Olympic gold medalist to enter the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). With one day's notice Schultz replaced Dave Beneteau at UFC 9 in 1996, facing off against the UFC 8 runner-up, Canadian Gary Goodridge. He won the bout by doctor stoppage due to a cut. Schultz was paid $50,000 for his victory. Schultz is ranked by bloodyelbow.com as the greatest wrestler in UFC history. At the time, he was a Head Coach of wrestling at Brigham Young University.

Schultz was the assistant wrestling coach at Brigham Young University from 1991 to 1994, then he was named Head Coach. In 1993, Schultz had his first brazilian jiu-jitsu experience in a match with Rickson Gracie. At the time, only two non-Gracie family members were Gracie Jiu-Jitsu black belts. One was Pedro Sauer who coached Mark for 3 years prior to UFC 9. Mark defeated Gary Goodridge at UFC 9. Mark was awarded a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt by Sauer.

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