Man with no legs promises to make brutal MMA debut
A 25-year-old fighter who was born without legs has promised to make a brutal MMA debut when he arrives in the Octagon later this week.
Zion Clark, from Ohio, US, is preparing to face Eugene Murray in North County San Diego for his first professional bout of his career after years spent pushing himself to be better and better.
The 25-year-old has no legs due to caudal regression syndrome, a rare disorder which impairs the development of the lower end of the spine, though he's argued it's not his lack of legs that has made him 'exceptional'.
"I'm not exceptional because I don't have legs and I'm an athlete," Clark told Fox News.
Advert
"I'm exceptional because I have a drive and I live by the mantra ‘No excuses’ and I push myself forward every day."
In high school, Clark pushed himself to nearly make the state high school championships as a wrestler in Ohio before going on to break a Guinness World Record for the fastest 20 meters on two hands.
As well as fighting, Clark skateboards, climbs and plays the drums, all the while sharing his story with others by working as a motivational speaker.
He has a tattoo across his back which reads 'no excuses', and has big plans for his MMA debut, which is set to take place on 17 December.
Describing his debut as 'the start of another professional career', Clark promised a fight worth watching as he added: "I'm here to rip his throat out and put on a show for the crowd."
Clark described his experience with MMA as being 'the same as it was wrestling', telling TMZ Sport: "I just wrestle against able-bodied people, and I beat able-bodied people.
"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."
"I'm trying to run this s**t up! It's not just a rinky-dink fight. This s**t's going on pay-per-view. This sh*t is a legit sanctioned fight. It's gonna be big!," he added.
The 25-year-old has previously experienced abandonment, neglect, abuse and bullying, but he found a security in his younger years with the woman who fostered and later adopted him.
"She gave me a stable home foundation finally," Clark explained. "And from then I was able to have just some peace of mind."
As well as preparing for his MMA debut, Clark is training with the hopes of wrestling in the 2024 Olympics.
Emily Brown