Mark Coleman is facing the toughest fight of his life.
The former UFC heavyweight champion remains hospitalized after succumbing to smoke inhalation in the wake of a devastating house fire earlier this week in Fremont, Ohio. “The Hammer” rescued his parents from the deadly blaze but was unable to retrieve his dog.
Get full details on the tragic incident here.
“Doctors removed as much soot as possible from his lungs,” longtime friend and former business associate, Mike DiSabato, told Josh Gross. “They are planning to do the same procedure today. He was somewhat conscious after the procedure and squeezed his daughter Morgan’s hand. Still sedated on intubator. Mark is still not out of the woods.”
Coleman’s daughters set up a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses here.
“Tragedy struck in the early morning hours of Tuesday, March 12th, where Mark was awoken at 4am by his beloved Rotti ‘Lil’ Hammer’ to a house fire in his childhood home, where he was visiting his parents. Mark, being the hero he is, and the fierce love he has for his family, managed to get his elderly parents out of the home unharmed. He went back in, risking his life, to save his dog. It is with great sadness that our beloved [dog] did not survive the fire, and the home is a total loss.”
“Mark was life flighted to a hospital where he is needing lots of prayer to get his lungs clear. His adult daughters, McKenzie and Morgan have not, and will not leave their Dad’s side as he battles for his life. We all knew he was one of the best athletes, now we know he is a true hero. All funds donated will go directly to Mark’s living expenses as well as support to his adult daughters who will be off work and by his side aiding in his recovery as well as assisting in any necessities the Coleman family needs.”
Coleman, 59, found success in both UFC and PRIDE and became one of the most recognizable faces in the early days of MMA, battling everyone from Randy Couture to Fedor Emelianenko. “The Hammer” was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame back in 2008 but did not retire from competition until his “Natural” loss at UFC 109 in early 2010.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
