What happened to Mark Coleman? Update on former UFC champion after heroic feat left him to battle for life
UFC legend Mark Coleman is reportedly awake, alert, and off breathing support after being hospitalized for battling a massive house fire to save his parents. The incident took place at their family home in Fremont, Ohio.
Per reports, a fire that started in the kitchen at 4 A.M. soon spread all over the house and engulfed its occupants in flames. Coleman seemingly woke up to find the house on fire and rushed in to rescue his elderly parents.
After saving them from the blaze and bringing them to safety, Coleman went back to search for their dog, Hammer. Unfortunately, the fire had engulfed the house, and the dog couldn't make it. The smoke reportedly caused Coleman to pass out, and he had to be hospitalized and intubated for lung damage.
A day after the horrid ordeal, Coleman was confirmed to be out of danger and is now awake while breathing on his own. The news was initially announced by fellow UFC veteran Matt Brown, who revealed that Coleman was doing much better. The news was later confirmed by Coleman's daughter, who took to Instagram to post a video of him speaking to his family.
'The Hammer' notably spent over a decade in the UFC and became its first-ever heavyweight champion after beating Dan Severn via first-round submission at UFC 12 in February 1997.
Mark Coleman speaks out after waking up in hospital following house fire ordeal
As mentioned above, Mark Coleman is awake and responsive after having a health scare in the hospital. In a video posted to his account by his daughter, Kenzie Coleman, 'The Hammer' can be seen emotionally embracing his family and recalling the events that occurred a day prior.
In the video posted by Coleman's daughter, he can be heard saying:
"I'm the happiest man in the world... I swear to god I'm so lucky. I can't believe my parents are alive. I had to make a decision. I got out of my room and went to the door... It was already horrible and I couldn't breathe... I got them and I couldn't find Hammer."
Coleman's daughters have also set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for the MMA legend's treatment. So far, the handle has raised over $88,000, with an active target of raising $100,000.