The following is an article from Sherdog.com:
Georgia Says “No” to Disabled Maynard
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
by Sherdog.com Staff
By now Kyle Maynard is used to having the deck stacked against him.
Born without fully developed arms and legs, Maynard, a high school wrestler who gained fame after being featured on HBO and winning the 2004 ESPY for Best Athlete with a Disability, hoped to quell doubters yet again as he delved into uncharted territory — mixed martial arts.
However with a 4-0 vote on Tuesday the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission denied the 21-year-old from Suwannee, Georgia a license to compete as an amateur mixed martial artist.
“Since I was young, sports has allowed me to compete against able-bodied athletes and to do all the things I've dreamed of doing,” Maynard told Georgia Magazine in 2004. “It's been the biggest avenue to reach out to people.”
Tuesday's news at least momentarily puts an end to Maynard's hope of furthering his sports career in MMA, like so many amateur wrestlers before him.
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