Hall of Famer Mark Coleman was the first heavyweight champion in the promotion and was known for being an astute professional. Coleman displayed his grit and hard-working nature as a successful collegiate wrestler as well as an Olympian. Coleman served as a role model for other fighters to look up to as a pioneer of the sport. These characteristics of Coleman applied both inside the octagon as well as outside. Recent news involving Coleman exemplifies just that. The former champion is currently hospitalized for putting his life at risk to save his parents as their house was burning down.
The news of Coleman’s hospitalization was shared by Full Send MMA on Instagram. Needless to say, fans and fighters alike flooded the comments with their thoughts. Here’s what fans had to say on the issue.
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One fan said in frustration, “Man this guy cannot catch a break f*ck.”
Another fan added in confusion, “I thought that was Mike tyson for a second.”
“Damn shit is hella sad I feel like we shouldn’t be seeing this pic Fr”– commented a fan out of concern for Coleman.
UFC middleweight champion Dircus Du Plessis reacted with a few emojis
UFC lightweight Jalin Turner commented saying, “Sending Prayers.”
Coleman suffered smoke inhalation after racing back inside the house a third time to retrieve his dog. He was later airlifted from the scene after rescuing his parents.
Although the exact cause of the fire is still unknown, firefighters from seven different departments were dispatched to the scene after it appeared to have started in the home’s kitchen.
The house was declared a total loss once the firefighters managed to put out the fire, but other than that, the local authorities have not released any other information about the incident.
A closer look at Mark Coleman’s career in the UFC
For the uninitiated, Mark Coleman was the first heavyweight champion in the history of the UFC. Coleman joined the promotion and made his debut in 1996. Before, it was owned by Dana White and the Fertitta brothers. ‘The Hammer’ stayed with the promotion until 1999 before switching over to PRIDE.
Mark Coleman is a real hero.
He ran into a fire three times to save his parents and dog.
Prayers up for the Hammer pic.twitter.com/1CfNXAyXeu
— MMA History Today (@MMAHistoryToday) March 12, 2024
After a few years at PRIDE, where he won the ‘Pride FC 2000 Openweight Grand Prix Tournament’, Coleman returned to the UFC, where he ultimately finished his career.
The final fight of his UFC career was against Randy Couture at UFC 109 in February 2010. Coleman was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008. Therefore, this was the first bout between two Hall of Famers in UFC history.
