How did Zion Clark, a fighter with no legs, inspire Conor McGregor? 'The Notorious' sheds light

Conor McGregor has stated how MMA fighter Zion Clark inspired him to return to full fitness and compete in the octagon once again.

Clark was born with a rare condition known as Caudal regression syndrome, which affects the development of the lower half of the body. Despite his disability, the 25-year-old has vowed to become an MMA champion and made his fighting debut in December last year.

Zion Clark won the fight via unanimous decision against an able-bodied opponent, and his success saw him go viral online, which has inspired many in the MMA community.

Conor McGregor appeared on The MMA Hour this week and was asked about the severe leg break he suffered against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. Ariel Helwani pressed the Irishman about whether or not he considered retiring, but McGregor stated that the thought never crossed his mind.

'The Notorious' explained that he drew inspiration from fighters such as Zion Clark, who has overcome his own adversity to compete in MMA:

"Was I thinking of not making the walk or the roll if I was in a f***ing chair? Never. If there's a will, there's a way Ariel... There's a way, with disabilities or something that's wrong, you can find a way to compete. Zion Clark, who's a wrestling champion. He's got no lower half of his body, I saw him walking on his hands! I'm never stopping this, I'm continuing. I'd wheel out to that octagon."

Catch McGregor's comments here (10:30):

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Conor McGregor on return to USADA testing pool

Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler recently wrapped up filming for the latest season of 'The Ultimate Fighter' (TUF). The pair are now expected to headline a pay-per-view later this year.

Whilst fans have been understandably excited about the Irishman's return, there have been questions about his USADA testing status during his injury lay-off. During the same episode of The MMA Hour, McGregor assured fans that he doesn't expect any issues.

Conor McGregor explained that he's currently in contact with USADA and only needs to return two clean tests to be given the green light:

"I'm not rushing nothing. There's hurdles and what not, but we're in contact, we're in constant communication, and there's an interview scheduled and a meeting happens and then it will be official. But the six-month thing - what they had said was it's two clean tests and off I go, so that's why I assume it won't be too long."

Catch the clip here: