Born without legs, wrestler Zion Clark featured on HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel"

Disabled wrestler Zion Clark has been featured on an episode of HBO's Emmy Award-winning show Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. The show centers on creating impactful investigative reports and detailed profiles covering various sports topics.

On episode five of the show's twenty-ninth season, a segment dedicated to Clark covered the awe-inspiring story of the 25-year-old's life and career. Despite suffering from a rare birth disorder called caudal regression syndrome that caused him to be born without legs, the incredible athlete managed to set three Guinness World Records and win his MMA debut against a non-disabled opponent last year.

Clark defeated Eugene Murray via unanimous decision at Gladiator Challenge: Seasons Beatings on December 17 and made history as the first legless fighter to defeat a non-disabled opponent.

A 2016 graduate of Washington High School, Zion Clark also won a pair of track and field championships in the seated division at the state level and advanced within two wins of the state wrestling tournament. He also participated in the school's swing band. The inspirational athlete later practiced wrestling at Kent State University in Tuscarawas.

Zion Clark has published a book called 'Zion Unmatched,' which includes a photo essay of his training to participate in the Paralympic Games and picture documentation of his early life and sports career.

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When Joe Rogan declared Zion Clark a bizarre opponent to train for

Zion Clark is genuinely one of the most inspiring personalities in combat sports, and his sporting achievements are a testament to his athletic grit and tenacity. The 25-year-old wrestler, born without the lower half of his body, has ventured into MMA and has trained alongside MMA legends such as Quinton Jackson and Anderson Silva.

Clark's MMA debut performance even caught the attention of the popular podcaster and UFC commentator Joe Rogan. The host of The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) podcast was impressed with what he saw and praised Zion Clark on one of his episodes.

In a December episode of the JRE podcast with Brian Simpson (#1915), Rogan briefly scrutinized Zion Clark's unique fighting abilities, while attempting to analyze how his opponents could possibly beat him. Pointing out that it's impossible to control Clark's legs, Rogan stated:

"Nothing but props for the guy... To become an elite wrestler and then an MMA fighter... But one thing that he's able to do, you don't have legs to control. So your game is different... If you're punching a guy that's down like that... You have to bend your knees and try punching [Down]. To train for that guy, how do you train for that guy?"

Watch this clip below:

Watch the full episode here: