Mark Coleman was hospitalized following his heroic act of saving his parents from a house fire in Toledo, Ohio, on Tuesday morning, as confirmed by his daughters Morgan and Kenzie on Instagram.
Mark Coleman, a UFC Hall of Famer, rushed into a burning house to rescue his parents, Dan and Connie Foos Coleman, who were trapped inside. Despite his efforts, his dog, Hammer, tragically did not survive the fire. Authorities confirmed the details of the incident.
Mark’s daughter, Kenzie, revealed on her Instagram Stories that his dog “saved [Mark’s] life by barking until he woke up.”
According to TMZ, the roof collapsed shortly after firefighters reached the scene. Mark was subsequently airlifted to a nearby hospital, a fact confirmed by his daughters and friend, Wes Sims, through separate social media updates.
Sims shared in his Facebook post that Mark is “currently intubated and sedated.”
According to People, Sims declined to provide more information until Mark wakes up. “No one can tell a Mark Coleman story like Mark Coleman! Please keep him in your prayers! 🙏 Thank you! 🙏,” says Sims.
Mark’s daughter Morgan provided more details on Instagram. “He managed to carry both of his parents out of the house but despite his best efforts was not able to save hammer. He was life-flighted to the hospital where he is currently battling for his life after this heroic act,” she wrote in the Instagram caption that accompanied a throwback photo of her, Mark and her sister Kenzie.
“Our father has always been our hero and means the world to us. He is and always will be a fighter. The strongest and bravest man I know,” she continued. “Please continue to pray for him and our family during this extremely difficult time. We will miss our sweet hammer so deeply.”
Kenzie shared her sister’s Instagram post to her Stories on Tuesday afternoon. “I woke up today with some of the most devestating news. Anyone who knows me knows my dad is my world. Whatever you believe in please keep my dad and family in your thoughts and prayers. I love you daddy if anyone can get through this it’s you,” she captioned the Story.
“My dog already got taken from me please don’t take my daddy … rip to my puppy who was my world,” concluded Kenzie.
The renowned UFC figure, recognized as the “Godfather of ground-and-pound,” made his initial foray into the mixed martial arts (MMA) scene in 1996. He clinched the heavyweight championship titles at UFC 10 and UFC 11, subsequently earning induction into the organization’s Hall of Fame in 2008. ESPN reported his official retirement from MMA in 2013, while MMA Fighting Newswire noted his experience with a heart attack in 2020 post-retirement.