Matt Riddle got his start in high school amateur wrestling, and was good enough to be a National wrestling champion and, in his senior year at Saratoga High School in New York, a New York State wrestling champion. He went on to attend East Stroudsburg University on a wrestling scholarship. He spent two years as part of the school's wrestling team, however after his coach was fired, he lost his scholarship and made the transition to mixed martial arts. From pretty much day one, he went to work for the UFC.