Are rules different in MMA for Zion Clark? John McCarthy explains

19 December 2022

Zion Clark, a 25-year-old Ohio wrestler born without legs, defeated Eugene Murray on Saturday in his MMA debut at an event called "Season's Beatings" put on by the MMA league Gladiator Challenge.

Due to a rare birth defect, Clark was born without legs. One in every 60,000 live births is affected by the disease. As a result of his mother's frequent incarceration, "Shaver" was placed in foster care from an early age.

ALSO READ | VIDEO: Wrestler born with no legs, Zion Clark wins his Pro MMA debut

While the victory of Zion Clark is something that everyone is enjoying, a Twitter user apparently had many questions about the ruleset that applies to the MMA fights of Zion.

A user named Nevin Gray asked former UFC referee John McCarthy about the rules with the tweet noted below.

“@JohnMcCarthyMMA how do you officiate this? Can you head kick him or is he considered a grounded fighter because his hands are on the ground to help him move? As someone with a disability and an mma fan, I have so many questions!”

John McCarthy decided to give his take on the situation and explained how the referee will operate with Zion Clark inside the MMA cage.

“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,” McCarthy explained.

What do you think of the rule set for Zion Clark? Let us know in the comments below.

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