He was taken to the hospital after rescuing his parents from the burning house
Photo of Mark Coleman shared by his daughter, Morgan Coleman (left) / Screenshot from Morgan Coleman’s social media
Mark Coleman (59), the inaugural UFC heavyweight champion who was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2008, has been in critical condition after rescuing his family from a fire.
USA Today reported that Coleman had been hospitalized due to a fire at his house in Fremont, Ohio.
According to a post uploaded by Coleman’s daughter Morgan on social media, Coleman was taken to the hospital after rescuing his parents from the burning house.
Morgan wrote, “My father managed to get my grandparents out of the house, but he could not save the companion dog despite his efforts. My father was taken to the hospital after his heroic act, where he is fighting for his life now.”
Coleman has been competing in the UFC since its inception in the late 1990s and became the first UFC heavyweight champion in 1997.
He later transferred to the newly formed Japanese mixed martial arts (MMA) organization, Pride FC, where he experienced a second golden age.
Japanese MMA fans still remember his two fights against Fedor Emelianenko as legendary battles.
In his second fight against Fedor, Coleman brought his two daughters to the ring. After losing the fight, a photo of his daughters crying and hugging their father, who was battered, resonated with many people.
While it was controversial then to bring children to an MMA match, recently, more and more fighters like Coleman are inviting their families to the ring.
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