Nick Newell
Pic by SHERDOG.COM -click for source- Credit: Dave Mandel

Nick Newell is a name that many MMA fans may not be familiar with. For starters, Newell was born with only one fully developed arm. His left arm ends just after his elbow. Many would find this to be a devastating abnormality. But this does not stop Newell from finishing every opponent in their tracks.

In fact, Newell adapted just fine, racking up over 300 wrestling victories between his high school and college career. Initially, Newell says that his first season of wrestling was more than difficult and that he almost quit altogether. It was his mother who refused to let her son give up, and what an outstanding decision it was.

Newell tried his hand at amateur MMA going 2-1 before turning pro. He described the beginning of his career as a struggle due to the fact that some fighters refused to fight him due to his birth abnormality. Fighters looked at it as a lose-lose situation for them.

“Not everyone is in tune with it,” said Newell to Karyn Bryant from MMA H.E.A.T. after his big win last night. “This is a world class organization, one of the biggest organizations in the world, and you know there are still people that tune in that are like.. “What?! That guy has one hand!?” 

If they lost the fight, then they would be known as the fighter that lost to a one armed opponent, and even if they were victorious, it would be frowned upon due to the fact that their opponent only had one arm. This was obviously discouraging to Newell since it began to feel like regardless of his skill level, he wouldn’t be able to find fights.

“You know it peaks peoples curiosity and if it gets people paying attention,” said Newell to Bryant, “you know I’m not out here like, “Look at my arm, I’m fightin!” I’m just a dude that comes out to fight and trains hard, and just wants the same respect and treatment as everyone else, and you know I just happen to be good at fighting, and I just happen to have one hand. I’m more of a fighter that has one hand, than a guy with one hand that happens to fight.”

This is quickly becoming a non issue as the 27 year old prospect has just improved his professional mixed martial arts record to an impressive 10-0 with his recent win at World Series of Fighting 4 on August 10. “A couple things coulda went better but at the end of the day, I won in the first round, and I feel fine,” said Newell about his most recent performance to Bryant. To make things even more impressive, Newell has only let one fight go to the judges.

The other nine victories are made up of one technical knockout, one knockout, eight submissions, and only one of his fights has ever made it past the first round. It is rumored that Newell could see another fight at World Series if Fighting 5 which is currently scheduled for September 14 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Nobody can predict what the future will hold for this promising up and comer, but if anything has become apparent, it is that his abnormality has not and will not hold this incredible fighter back.