Unique experiment: the heel-hook king takes on a legless jiu-jitsu grappler. Walker’s strangest match yet

On February 13 in Miami, Florida (USA), Karate Combat will stage another event — and it won’t be limited to the promotion’s usual ruleset. The organizers took an unconventional approach to building the card and decided to add an extremely unusual grappling match. One of the participants will be UFC heavyweight No. 14 Walter Walker, which isn’t surprising: the Russian-Brazilian holds a one-of-a-kind record when it comes to submissions (more on that below). His opponent, however, is truly extraordinary. Zion Clark is a grappler known for his achievements despite a severe physical condition: the athlete was born without legs.

Clark started wrestling back in high school. At first it was difficult: for one, adapting to the sport’s demands with such an unusual body structure wasn’t easy, and for another, his peers weren’t exactly eager to share the mat with him. But Zion already had an unbreakable will. Over time, he trained his arms and torso enough to at least partially compensate for the lack of legs. By the time he was in college, Clark was already tying up and controlling fully able-bodied opponents, which brought him fame that later spread far beyond campus. Zion has made the Guinness World Records three times and even made it to MMA. He didn’t manage to build a full-fledged career in mixed martial arts, but in grappling and wrestling Clark is held in high regard.

There’s a certain irony in the fact that Walker’s opponent is precisely this man. Walter, as we know, is famous above all for his leg locks — especially heel hooks. The Brazilian owns a truly unique achievement: he became the first fighter in UFC history to win four straight bouts by heel hook. In the upcoming match Walker obviously won’t be able to rely on his signature weapon, but on the other hand it’s a perfect chance to sharpen the rest of his grappling arsenal.