Mark Coleman considers himself lucky to be alive.
Two days after he rescued his parents from a Fremont, Ohio, house fire that claimed the life of his dog “Hammer,” Coleman finally is alert and talking in a Toledo hospital.
Coleman was airlifted to the hospital, sedated and intubated for smoke inhalation. For the past two days, hospital staff worked to clear his lungs.
In a video posted Thursday, Coleman is seen embracing his daughters Morgan and Kenzie in an emotional moment, as he recaps what happened.
“I’m the happiest man in the world,” Coleman said. “Sweet God, I’m so lucky. I can’t believe my parents are alive. … I had to make a decision, Wes. Because I got out of my room and went to the door and it was already horrible. I couldn’t breathe. I almost had to go outside and I went back in and got them. I can’t believe I got them but I couldn’t find (our dog) Hammer.”
A GoFundMe was launched by Coleman’s daughters Thursday to help with his medical expenses. Many in the MMA community and beyond shared their well-wishes on social media. Coleman’s teammate and close friend Wes Sims provided daily updates from the hospital on Facebook.
Coleman, 59, was the inaugural UFC heavyweight champion and a former PRIDE grand prix winner. Nicknamed “The Godfather of Ground-and-Pound”, Coleman was inducted into both the pioneer and fight wings of the UFC Hall of Fame.
In recent years, Coleman has dealt with multiple adversities in the public eye, including a 2020 heart attack. At the advice of Sims in 2021, Coleman went to rehab for alcoholism in 2021 and has since used his experience to promote healthy living and sobriety in positive-vibed social media posts.