Zion Clark is now 1-0 as a pro MMA fighter.
“No excuses” is tattooed on the back of Zion Clark, who was born with caudal regression syndrome, a rare condition that left him without legs. He also spent most of his youth in foster care. Living up to that mantra, Clark never let anything hold him back as he spent years competing in track and field and wrestling in high school and college.
Now 25-years-old, the former All-American wrestler sought a new challenge and competed in a professional MMA fight this past weekend.
“It’s the same as it was wrestling for me. I just wrestle against able-bodied people, and I beat able-bodied people,” Clark told TMZ Sports. “Now I’m fighting able-bodied people, and I’m gonna knock out able-bodied people. It’s as simple as that. I’m a fighter.”
Clark took on Eugene Murray at bantamweight on his pro debut, using that wrestling background and getting a shutout win by unanimous decision.
Zion Clark, a wrestler with no legs, takes down his opponent in his first MMA match pic.twitter.com/JD1gWuNyBN
— Sportsville (@Sportsville_) December 18, 2022
True Inspiration @bigz97 ??
ZION CLARK WINS VIA UNANIMOUS DECISION
(via @ajmckee101) pic.twitter.com/F1G8QLLgAG
— betr ??Combat (@betrcombat) December 18, 2022
After every judge gave him 30-27 scores, Clark officially became 1-0 as a pro MMA fighter. Murray dropped to 0-5.
Apart from competing in sports like track and field, wrestling, and now MMA, Clark also holds three Guinness World Records for the highest box jump with the hands (33 inches), most diamond push ups in three minutes (248), and fastest 20 meter walk on hands (4.78 seconds).
Clark was also featured in a 2020 Netflix documentary short “Zion,” which you can watch in full below: