The UFC is the fastest-growing sports league in the USA, even though it does not have a storied history like other sports leagues like the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Nonetheless, the performance of the pioneers of the sport laid the foundation for the UFC to become a force to be reckoned with.
The UFC has a Hall of Fame where fighters, non-fighters, and even fights get enshrined. One of the inductees into the UFC Hall of Fame, Mark Coleman, was met with an unfortunate incident.
Mark Coleman left in critical situation after house fire rescue
UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman was and still is a hero to many UFC superstars and he recently became a real-life hero. Coleman, who stays with his parents and his dog, had his house engulfed in flames at midnight but that did not scare the former UFC champion.
Coleman displayed immense bravery as he went in to save his father and mother, who were unaware of the fire, as per Marca. The former UFC champion managed to save his parents from the inferno unscathed. However, he went inside again to save his dog, who was the first to alert him to the fire.
Coleman’s act to save his dog was motivated by loyalty but he had to suffer the consequences of it. The UFC Hall of Famer succumbed to smoke inhalation and he was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where he is now in critical condition.
Nonetheless, Coleman’s act of bravery saved three lives in the process. Fans and fighters are praying for his quick recovery. As a respectable figure in the sport of MMA, support is pouring in for him on social media.
Mark Coleman’s UFC career highlights
Mark Coleman made his name in the UFC as well as the Pride Fighting Championships. Coleman even made his professional MMA debut in the UFC at UFC 10, where he was the winner of the tournament. He even repeated the feat at UFC 11. Moreover, he was even the inaugural UFC heavyweight champion of the promotion at UFC 12.
At UFC 10, UFC 11, and UFC 12, Coleman had a combined record of 6-0 with all finishes; 3 TKOs and 3 submissions. He defeated the likes of Don Frye, Dan Severn, Gary Goodridge, and Brian Johnston at the aforementioned events. Coleman returned to UFC 14, where he suffered his first professional defeat, to Maurice Smith.
Despite the loss, Coleman’s fight with Smith earned both men 1997 Fight of the Year honors from the UFC. After setbacks with the UFC, Coleman went to Pride, where he won the Pride FC 2000 Openweight Grand Prix Tournament.
At Pride, Coleman fought the likes of Fedor Emelianenko and Mirko Cro Cop, among others but lost their respective bouts. He returned to the UFC at UFC 93, where he fought Mauricio Rua in a loss but won the Fight of the Night honors.
Coleman called it quits after his fight against Randy Couture, which was the first instance of two inducted Hall of Famer’s fighting inside the octagon. Coleman lost the fight via rear-naked-choke submission in the second round.
What do you think of Mark Coleman’s legendary UFC career? Leave your thoughts below!
