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Mark Coleman poses for a portrait on November 1, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jim Kemper/Zuffa Getty Images)

Recovering Mark Coleman "Happiest Man In The World"

UFC Legend Awakens After Rescuing Parents From House Fire

Mark Coleman has long been a hero to millions for his accomplishments on the wrestling mat, as well as in the ring and Octagon in mixed martial arts, but the UFC Hall of Famer saved his most heroic act for outside of competition on Tuesday, as he rescued his parents from a raging house fire in his native Ohio, risking his own life in the process.

“I’m the happiest man in the world,” said Coleman from his hospital room as he saw two of his daughters, Morgan and Kenzie, on Thursday. “I’m so lucky. I can’t believe my parents are alive.”

Dan and Connie are alive thanks to their 59-year-old son, who was reportedly woken by his dog, Hammer, in the early hours of Tuesday morning as the family home in Fremont was on fire.

“I got out of my room and went to the door and it was already horrible; I couldn’t breathe,” said Coleman in a video posted on Facebook Thursday. “I got them, but I couldn’t find Hammer.”

Coleman’s two trips from the house saved his mother and father, but on a third trip back into the house to rescue Hammer, he was overcome by the smoke. His beloved dog didn’t make it out of the house, which was leveled by the firs, but Coleman was rescued and airlifted to the hospital, where he was treated for smoke inhalation. The situation was tense for a while, but, on Thursday, he was breathing on his own and on the way to recovery.

For a man who battled the toughest wrestlers and fighters in the world for years, as well as fought back from a 2020 heart attack, it was no surprise that Coleman turned back another foe.

It was the best news of a week that needed it.

Mark Coleman Hall of Fame Induction | UFC Hall of Fame
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Mark Coleman Hall of Fame Induction | UFC Hall of Fame
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A MARK COLEMAN PRIMER

Respectfully known as the “Godfather of Ground and Pound,” Mark Coleman was one of the first elite amateur wrestlers to translate his work on the mat into the fairly young sport of mixed martial arts, influencing countless fighters to this day.



Before getting his place in the UFC Hall of Fame, though, Coleman was an NCAA Champion and All-American for The Ohio State University, as well as a member of the 1992 US Olympic team.



Needless to say, he was no stranger to athletic excellence. But, at 31, Coleman had reached a crossroads in his career and didn’t know where he was heading until he saw the Ultimate Fighting Championship.



An intense training camp later, he entered the Octagon for the first time at UFC 10 in

1996, and suddenly, the mild-mannered Coleman became "The Hammer," as he defeated Moti Horenstein, Gary Goodridge, and Don Frye in succession to win that night’s tournament and introduce a new phrase into the mixed martial arts vernacular: Ground and Pound.

Mark Coleman talks with Joe Rogan after defeating Dan Severn to become the first UFC heavyweight champion at UFC 12 from the Dothan City Civic Center on February 7, 1997 in Dothan, Alabama.
Mark Coleman speaks with Joe Rogan after defeating Dan Severn to become the first UFC heavyweight champion at UFC 12 on February 7, 1997 from the Dothan City Civic Center in Dothan, Alabama.

Another tournament win followed just two months later as he defeated Julian Sanchez and Brian Johnston in a combined three minutes and five seconds, and at UFC 12 he defeated Dan Severn in less than three minutes to become the first UFC heavyweight champion.



Coleman didn’t rest on his laurels, though, as he went on to star in PRIDE, winning that promotion’s Openweight Grand Prix in 2000 before ending his career in the place where it started – the UFC Octagon, where he fought old rival Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, defeated

Stephan Bonnar, and then competed in the first bout between UFC Hall of Famers against Randy Couture.



In recent years, Coleman, a father of three daughters, has been a beloved ambassador of the sport, as well as a coach and mentor to a new generation of fighters who, along with his legion of fans, are happy that he’s still with us.