One-Legged Fighter Makes Martial Arts History

Published January 07, 2015

Mixed Martial Arts is intense for any fighter — so imagine entering the ring with one less leg than your opponent. That's exactly the obstacle facing Arizona fighter Matt Betzold, but he's not letting his handicap keep him out of the ring.

Betzold, who was given poisoned candy when he was six years old, had his left leg amputated below the knee by doctors.

He wears a prosthetic leg at all times — except for when he competes. On Saturday, Betzold fought in his first Rage in the Cage event at Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona.

"Some people may say I'm disabled, but I don't look at it like that. I just have a disability," Betzold told MyFOXPhoenix.

Betzold, 25, is the second person with a disability to fight in a Mixed Martial Arts event.

But it gets even better. Betzold won the fight in the first round, making martial arts history and earning a standing ovation from the crowd.

Click here for more from MyFOXPhoenix.com.

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https://www.foxnews.com/us/one-legged-fighter-makes-martial-arts-history