Zion Clark, a 25-year-old wrestler from Ohio born with no legs, won his MMA debut against Eugene Murray on Saturday at an event titled ‘Season’s Beatings’ by the MMA organization Gladiator Challenge.
Clark was born with no legs as a result of a rare birth disorder. The condition affects one in every 60,000 live births. ‘Shaver’ was put into foster care from an early age since his mother was in and out of prison.
Watch Zion Clark’s MMA debut below:
?Zion Clark, a wrestler with no legs, takes down his opponent in his first MMA match ?? https://t.co/JD1gWuNyBN
In the video, Zion Clark can be seen circling his opponent before shooting for a single-leg takedown and ending with a double-leg before transitioning to Murray’s back.
The video ends with a scuffle where Murray can be seen getting to the mount position. Zion Clark ended up winning the bout with a 30-27 unanimous decision.
Watch the decision below:
According to an article by ESPN, the high-school and collegiate wrestler has set two Guinness records earlier this year. He holds the record for the highest box jump with two hands at 33 inches and the world record for running 20 meters in 4.78 seconds.
The organization that Clark fought in, Gladiator Challenge, is owned by Ted Williams, a former UFC fighter.
According to Williams, the organization was the proving ground for legends like Urijah Faber, Chael Sonnen and Quinton Jackson in the early days. However, according to Tapology, the organization has been flagged for “record-peddling and mismatching.”
Who are some of the other specially-abled MMA fighters apart from Zion Clark?
Zion Clark is not the first specially-abled fighter to compete in MMA, though he may be the first without legs to compete in the sport. Nick Newell is the most famous specially-abled athlete in this day and age. Newell is missing a good portion of his left arm but uses what he has effectively in grappling exchanges and as a tool to block strikes.
Newell has competed in organizations like LFA, Bellator and WSOF, where he lost via TKO to former UFC interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje. He even had a stint on Dana White’s Contender Series, where he lost to Alex Munoz via unanimous decision.
With just one arm, Nick Newell has an incredible MMA record of 16-4.
Matt Hamill is another name that comes to mind when talking about specially-abled MMA fighters. Hamill was born deaf and began wrestling at an early age, courtesy of his father.
Hamill first appeared on The Ultimate Fighter 3, along with Michael Bisping – the winner of the season – and won his first bout of the season. However, he was unable to continue due to injuries and a medical suspension.
Matt ‘The Hammer’ Hamill had a decent career in the UFC with an 8-5 promotional record. He last fought in 2018 and has an overall MMA record of 13-8.
Check out the profile on Matt Hamill below:
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