Man with no legs wins professional MMA debut

Zion Clark was born without legs but that hasn’t stopped him from achieving any goal he’s set forth for himself, and now he’s looking to the mixed martial arts world. 

Clark suffers from a rare birth defect known as Caudal Regression Syndrome, a disorder that impairs the development of the lower half of the body. But it hasn’t stopped him from becoming an all-American Wrestler and breaking world records. 

Back in 2021, Clark broke the record for the fastest 20m walking on hands, and in 2022 he achieved the Guinness World Record for the highest box jump with hands as well as the most diamond pushups in three minutes. 

"My journey through life has been tough,” Clark said in an interview with Forbes, “I've been through some very dark places and experiences in my life.” 

“Especially the first 17 years of my life going through the foster care system bouncing around between nine different homes," Clark added.

Clark noted that his tough childhood taught him about resilience, which in turn taught him how to face life's struggles and achieve his goals. Maybe that’s why he’s had such a long list of achievements. 

Clark was an All-American wrestler at Kent State as well as a two-time state track champion. Often called the fastest man on two hands, Clark has set his sights on a new challenge, mixed martial arts. 

Clark squared off against Eugene Murray (0-4) at the California-based regional mixed martial arts promotion competition Gladiator Challenge. 

Prior to the fight, Clark said that this bout would mark the start of his professional career in mixed martial arts. 

“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,” Clark told Fox 11 News in Los Angeles

“I’m not exceptional because I don’t have legs and I’m an athlete,” Clark added “I’m exceptional because I have a drive and I live by the mantra, ‘no excuses’ and I push myself forward every day.”

Clark certainly pushed his way through the fight, sweeping the judge's card and besting Murray in a unanimous decision. 

Murray was outworked and outplayed by Clark, who used his extensive wrestling knowledge to take down his opponent over the three-round bout. 

When the judge's 30-27 decision was revealed, Clark backflipped his way back to his corner sending the crowd into a frenzy. But such a stunning performance was expected by some. 

“Clark has been taking his foray in MMA very seriously, training with former UFC stars like Rampage Jackson, Mike Perry and Anderson Silva,” wrote Mail Online journalist James Cooney.

Eugene Murray, Clark’s opponent, had a winless record going into the fight, and Clark is now set to move on to more advanced fights within the sport.