Zion Clark: MMA Fighter Zion Clark has stolen all the headlines throughout the world this week. The differently abled athlete who was born without legs recently won his MMA debut against an able-bodied athlete. However, he may not have got the response from fans he expected. For more combat sports news, follow Insidesport.IN.
Zion Clark took on Eugene Murray in a three-round contest at the Gladiator Challenge: Season’s beatings. And against all odds, Zion Clark won via a unanimous decision, winning 30-27 on all judges’ scorecards. Despite his impressive win, fans have questioned the bout on a video that has since gone viral.
Video: Zion Clark, Athlete Without Legs, Wins His MMA Debut, Gets Uncanny Attention- ‘It’s Not Going to Be Good’
One fan commented, “It’s not going to be good when he gets an opponent who actually wants to win.” Others also pointed out that there had to be some special rules for the fight. Some fans also credited Clark for his unlikely win.
There were also a few comments trolling Clark and calling for Murray to kick Clark away. While one fan questioned how the weight class worked for the fight. Therefore, from all these comments, it is clear to see that Clark’s win over Murray does not convince the fans.
Did Zion Clark have special rules for his MMA debut?
The biggest question to arise from Clark’s MMA debut was the rules. Fans could not wrap their head around the fact that a fighter without any legs could compete in a sport where kicks play a big role. So did he have special rules that restricted kicks?
Well, technically, there were no special rules for Zion Clark. However, his opponent still could not kick him on the head. This is because official rules consider Clark a downed opponent all the time. Former UFC referee John McCarthy confirmed this on Twitter.
Zion is always considered as a grounded fighter. You can never knee or kick him to the head, but you could use those techniques to the body. Stomps are out completely. That about covers all the differences. Hope this helps https://t.co/tSOAGMfYQB
— Big John McCarthy (@JohnMcCarthyMMA) December 19, 2022
McCarthy, however, said Clark’s opponent could kick him to the body since the official rules allow for fighters to kick downed opponents to the body. So technically, Zion Clark fought under normal MMA rules.
What did you make of the Zion Clark MMA debut? Do you think it’s fair?
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