Zion Clark – the American MMA fighter born without legs – defeats an able-bodied opponent and wins his first fight by unanimous decision… as he sets his sights on a remarkable rise to the UFC!
Zion Clark was born without a lower body, but has competed 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 defeated Eugene Murray by unanimous decision on his debut
He has set his sights on the UFC and wants to fight his way to the top
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Zion Clark – the MMA fighter born without a lower body – has defeated his first opponent by 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 a perfect start.
Clark took on Eugene Murray in California on Saturday night in a PPV bout, knocking his opponent down multiple times despite their size difference.
The fight lasted the full three rounds, before Clark was then declared the winner by unanimous decision, with his arm raised by the octagon judge.
Zion Clark (right) gave his opponent a lot of trouble on his MMA debut Saturday night
At the end of the fight, Murray had his arm raised by the referee, bringing his MMA record to 1-0
Murray, his opponent, didn’t seem too disappointed with the result, instead pointing to Clark who would be crowned the winner before the decision was made.
When the jury’s decision was revealed, a delighted Clark returned to his corner, sending the watching crowd wild.
Clark was born with caudal regression syndrome, a serious condition that stunts the development of the lower back.
Despite this, he has been able to participate and compete in numerous sports, and now he is turning his attention to a career in MMA.
Clark (pictured) was born without a lower body, but that hasn’t stopped him from breaking multiple world records… and now he’s won his first MMA fight
Clark defeated Eugene Murray in Saturday’s Gladiator Challenge and has set his sights on UFC
“I’m exceptional because I have a drive and I live by the “no excuses” mantra and I push myself forward every day.
“This is the start of a new professional career for me and I’m here to rip his throat out and put on a show for the crowd.”
The inspirational athlete’s life was full of hardships growing up in foster care, but he pushed himself to become an exceptional high school wrestler and hopes to make it to the 2024 Olympics and Paralympic Games in wheelchair racing.
“People would laugh at me for not having legs,” he said. “The best way to deal with haters is to use the hate to elevate yourself.
The haters are your biggest fans – use that to your advantage.
Despite his disability, Clark, 25, has been able to participate and compete in numerous sports
“School wasn’t the best time for me, but by the time I was a senior I was able to turn it around and go to college and do whatever I wanted to do.”
Clark also sees participation in the UFC as a future possibility – but his first big test will come when he dons the gloves this weekend.
“It’s like wrestling to me. I just wrestle able-bodied people and I beat able-bodied people,” he told TMZ.
“Now I’m fighting able-bodied people, and I’m going to knock able-bodied people out. It’s that simple. I am a fighter.’
Clarke takes his foray into MMA very seriously, training with former UFC stars like Rampage Jackson, Mike Perry and Anderson Silva.
His opponent – Eugene Murray – has a four-fight winless record and was unable to secure his first win this weekend.