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Zion Clark, the American MMA fighter who was born without legs, defeats an able-bodied opponent to WIN his first fight by unanimous decision… while eyeing a remarkable promotion to the UFC!
- Zion Clark was born without a lower body but has participated in multiple sports
- He has now turned his attention to MMA and competed for the first time this week.
- The 25-year-old from Ohio beat Eugene Murray by unanimous decision in his debut
- He has set his sights on the UFC and is looking to fight his way to the top.
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Zion Clark, the MMA fighter who was born without a lower body, defeated his first opponent via unanimous decision at the Gladiator Challenge in San Diego.
The 25-year-old, from Ohio, made headlines earlier this week when he shared his dream of making it to the UFC, and he’s already off to the perfect start.
Clark faced Eugene Murray in California in a pay-per-view bout on Saturday night, dropping his opponent multiple times despite the size difference.
The fight went the full three rounds, before Clark was called the winner by unanimous decision, and the judge raised his arm in the octagon.
Zion Clark (right) caused his opponent a lot of trouble during his MMA debut on Saturday night.
At the end of the fight, the referee raised Murray’s arm, bringing his MMA record to 1-0.
Murray, his opponent, didn’t seem too disappointed with the result, instead singled out Clark to be crowned the winner before the decision was made.
As the judges’ decision was revealed, a delighted Clark did a backflip and returned to his corner, sending the watching crowd wild.
Clark was born with caudal regression syndrome, a serious disorder that affects the development of the lower spine.
Despite this, he has been able to participate and compete in numerous sports, and now turns his attention to a career in MMA.
Clark (pictured) was born without a lower body, but that didn’t stop him from breaking several world records…and now he’s won his first MMA fight.
Clark defeated Eugene Murray in the Gladiator Challenge on Saturday and has his sights set on the UFC
I am exceptional because I have drive and live by the mantra “no excuses” and push myself every day.
“This is the start of another professional career for me and I’m here to rip his throat out and put on a show for the crowd.”
The inspiring athlete’s life was filled with difficulties growing up in foster care, but he pushed himself to become an exceptional wrestler in high school and hopes to make it to the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in wheelchair racing.
“People made fun of me because I didn’t have legs,” he said. ‘The best way to deal with haters is to use hate to lift yourself up.
‘Haters are your biggest fans, use them to your advantage.
Despite his disability, 25-year-old Clark has been able to participate and compete in numerous sports.
“School wasn’t the best time for me, but when I was a senior I was able to turn it around and get into college and do whatever I wanted to do.”
Clark also sees competing in the UFC as a future possibility, but his first big test comes when he puts on the gloves this weekend.
‘It’s the same as wrestling was for me. I just fight non-disabled people and beat non-disabled people,” she told TMZ.
‘Now I’m fighting non-disabled people, and I’m going to knock out non-disabled people. It’s as simple as that. I’m a fighter.’
Clarke has taken her foray into MMA very seriously, training with former UFC stars like Rampage Jackson, Mike Perry and Anderson Silva.
His opponent, Eugene Murray, has a winless record in four fights and was unable to secure his first win this weekend.