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UFC pioneer Mark Coleman hospitalized after saving parents from house fire

Mark Coleman is alert and responsive after being hospitalized from the effects of smoke inhalation, his daughter said in a Facebook post.

By Glynn A. Hill | 2024-03-14

UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman, seen here in 2023, was airlifted to a hospital after saving his parents from a house fire, according to a social media post by his daughter. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Famer Mark Coleman is alert and responsive after being hospitalized from the effects of smoke inhalation, according to his daughter. Coleman saved his parents from a burning home early Tuesday morning in Toledo and his daughter, McKenzie, shared a social media post Thursday showing her father awake in his hospital bed conversing with family members.

"I'm the happiest man in the world," Coleman said in the video. "I'm so lucky. I can't believe my parents are alive."

Coleman's family said on Wednesday the former UFC star was "battling for his life" in the hospital after being airlifted from the scene of the fire Tuesday.

Around 4 a.m. that day, Hammer, the family dog, awakened Coleman to the blaze, the family said on a GoFundMe page. Coleman pulled his father from the burning home, then his mother, before attempting to save the dog.

Coleman recounted the episode from his hospital bed in the Facebook reel posted Thursday, saying he couldn't breath by the time he left his room and reached a house door. He said he turned around to rescue his parents, but couldn't find Hammer, who ultimately died. McKenzie Coleman said in the post that her father is breathing on his own, and offered thanks "for the love and support from the bottom of our hearts."

Coleman's parents were not seriously injured in the ordeal, but the 59-year-old was airlifted to a Toledo hospital and put in an induced coma, his manager, Michael DiSabato, told NBC News.

McKenzie Coleman and sister Morgan started the GoFundMe page Wednesday to support the family, and it had raised more than $67,000 within its first day.

"We are a faithful family and know God works miracles," they wrote on the platform. "Please keep praying with us that our hero has complete healing."

Mark Coleman is considered a mixed martial arts pioneer, having become the UFC's first heavyweight champion in 1997 and its fifth Hall of Fame inductee in 2008. He officially retired in 2013 with a 16-10 record that included wins over Dan Severn, Don Frye and Mauricio Rua.

Before his MMA career, Coleman was a standout wrestler. He won a national championship at Ohio State and a silver medal at the 1991 world championships. He also earned a seventh-place finish at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics.


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