UFC legend Mark Coleman has been released from hospital a week after saving his parents from a house fire and nearly dying himself.
At his childhood home in Toledo, Ohio, Coleman was reportedly awake by his dog Hammer, and discovered the house engulfed in flames.
He was left in critical condition after managing to save his parents (but unfortunately not Hammer), and he said on Monday that he is ‘healing very well’.
‘My lungs hurt. My eyes are burned but I am alive and well,” he wrote Instagram video. “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.”
In the clip, Coleman adds, “I’m so grateful to be here today. I am so blessed. I am one of the happiest men in the world. I can’t thank you all enough. I’m just so grateful.
Mark Coleman said he was ‘healing very well’ after saving his parents from a house fire
Coleman was fighting for his life after being placed on a ventilator at an Ohio hospital on Tuesday
His childhood home in Toledo, Ohio, was completely burned down in the fire
‘I will continue to try to motivate people to move forward and become a better version of themselves. You never know when you’ll need it, so let’s go ahead and start today. Tomorrow is not promised. Get moving!’
According to “MMA Detective” Mark Davis, Coleman was initially intubated and sedated after being airlifted to the hospital in Fremont.
Two days later, the retired MMA star responded in hospital as images on his Facebook account showed him laughing and hugging family members.
“I had to make a decision,” he said. ‘Once I got out of my room and went to the door it was already terrible, I couldn’t breathe. I almost had to go out, but I went in and grabbed them. I can not believe it.’
In another video posted Sunday, Coleman said his dog, Hammer, was found under the bed without burns and that he had died of smoke inhalation.
Coleman said he would have died if he had spent “one more second” in the burning house.
About his parents, he added: “My mother and father have always been my heroes. In 59 years they have never left my side. “I’m blessed to have been in this position to save them because I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if they had died.”
The 59-year-old saved both his parents from falling into a domestic hell in Toledo
Coleman was the UFC’s first heavyweight champion, winning the UFC 10 and UFC 11 tournaments
Under his video post on Sunday, fellow MMA fighter Matt Brown wrote: ‘F****g hero. Love you, brother!’
Meanwhile, Kenzie, one of Coleman’s daughters, also wrote an emotional comment.
“I can’t imagine a day without you,” she said. ‘I love you daddy ❤️ you’ve been my hero since day 1.’
Coleman has three daughters: one with his current partner and two from a previous marriage.’