UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman is awake and responsive after being airlifted to the hospital. Coleman, 59, was transported to a local hospital in Ohio for smoke inhalation after rescuing his parents from the fire in the early hours of Tuesday morning, his daughter said earlier this week in an Instagram post.
“I’m the happiest man in the world! I swear to God, I’m so lucky. I can’t believe my parents are alive…” Coleman said in an emotional reunion with his family posted to his Facebook page. “I had to make the decision because I got out of my room and opened the door and it was already horrible. I couldn’t breathe. I almost had to go outside. And I went back and I got them, I can’t believe it. I got them. I couldn’t find Hammer.”
Coleman’s daughter, Kenzie, noted in the Facebook post that he is breathing on his own. It is unclear how much longer Coleman will need to stay in the hospital or how much damage was done to his lungs.
Coleman was alerted of the fire by his dog, Hammer. The UFC legend managed to rescue his parents before succumbing to smoke inhalation while attempting to rescue his dog. The fundraising site, GoFundMe, showed a photo of Mark Coleman strapped up to a ventilator.
“As many know, our dad was involved in a house fire early this morning along with his parents and beloved dog, Hammer,” Morgan Coleman wrote Tuesday on Instagram. “He managed to carry both of his parents out of the house but despite his best efforts was not able to save Hammer. He was life-flighted to the hospital where he is currently battling for his life after this heroic act.
“Our father has always been our hero and means the world to us. He is and always will be a fighter. The strongest and bravest man I know. Please continue to pray for him and our family during this extremely difficult time. We will miss our sweet Hammer so deeply.”
Coleman is a pioneer of mixed martial arts and an accomplished amateur wrestler. Coleman won an NCAA Division I title for Ohio State in 1998 before representing the U.S. in the 1992 Olympics. Coleman became the first UFC heavyweight champ in his sixth professional fight and later won the Pride FC 2000 Openweight Grand Prix Tournament. He retired after fighting fellow legend Randy Couture in the first fight between two active UFC Hall of Famers in 2010.
