UFC legend Mark Coleman is ALREADY back in the gym – days after nearly DYING from rescuing his parents in a house fire and being in critical condition in hospital – as he jokes: ‘I never left!’
UFC legend Mark Coleman wasted no time getting back to the gym, days after being left in critical condition on a hospital bed.
On March 12, the 59-year-old MMA pioneer saved both his parents from a house fire in Ohio. After securing his mother and father, Coleman went back to rescue his dog Hammer, who unfortunately did not survive the fire. Coleman was later taken to hospital as fans and family became concerned for his life.
A day after his release on March 18, Coleman returned to his mentor duties at Immortal Martial Arts. UFC veteran Matt Brown posted a video announcing Coleman’s return to the gym.
‘What is it guys? The man is back,” Brown said. “The Hammer is back.”
‘I never left. Well, just a minute,” Coleman said, chuckling as he raised his arms.
UFC legend Mark Coleman returned to the gym just days after being in critical condition
Coleman saved his parents from a house fire in Ohio and tried to save his dog Hammer
According to Jonathan Snowden from MMA Encyclopedia, Coleman’s dog woke him up in a burning house. Coleman’s rescue of his parents also came seconds before the roof collapsed due to the fire.
Two days after the fire, Coleman woke up and said, “I’m the luckiest man in the world,” as he hugged his family.
“I’m so grateful to be here today,” Coleman said in a video after leaving the hospital. “I’m so blessed. I am one of the happiest men in the world. I can’t thank you all enough. I’m so grateful.’
‘My lungs hurt. My eyes are burned but I’m alive and well,” he captioned the clip on Instagram. “I feel so blessed that it’s in the hands of my higher powers. He wants me to move on today and I do. I am overwhelmed by the love and support I have received. If I had one wish, it would be that I could meet all of you to give you a big hug and thank you in person.”
Unfortunately, Coleman’s dog, which alerted him to the fire, did not survive the fire
A pioneer of the sport, Coleman was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2008
The Hammer made his MMA debut in 1996 by winning the UFC 10 tournament. Later that year, he emerged victorious at UFC 11, posting back-to-back tournament victories. Coleman also finished all five opponents during his run with wins over Don Frye and Gary Goodridge.
At UFC 12, Coleman provided Dan Severn with a scarf grab to become the inaugural UFC Heavyweight Champion.
Coleman fought in Pride from 1999 until the Japanese promotion was bought by Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, in 2007. He competed against the likes of Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko Crop Cop and Randy Couture before retiring in 2010 with a 16-10 record.
Coleman was inducted into the Pioneer Wing of the UFC Hall of Fame in 2008 and into the Fight Wing in 2016 for his UFC 17 showdown against Pete Williams.