Let’s go back to November 2020. Mark Coleman came extremely close to ignoring the signs of an impending cardiac arrest. “It wasn’t my time,” he wrote. “It’s time to live.” Now, just over three years later, the first signs Coleman got of something not being right, he acted on it. And as a result, his parents would’ve been the ones to say, “It wasn’t our time. It’s time to live.” But as for the UFC Hall-of-Famer, things could be taking a turn for the worse.
In the early hours of Tuesday, March 12, 2024, a fire started in a Fremont, Ohio, residence. The Ballville Volunteer Fire Department, aided by seven other fire departments, reached the location post 4:00 AM. But before it became the raging inferno it did, Mark Coleman and his parents were sound asleep inside. According to reports, his dog – Hammer – alerted Coleman about the fire, and the former fighter sprung into action.
The first thing he did was carry his father outside to safety. He ran back into the burning house to save his mother, who’d sustained minor burns by then, with her hair all burnt. He managed to get them out of danger but not without sustaining some damage to himself. Mark Colman ran back in to save Hammer, without whom none of them would’ve made it out alive. But that’s where things went south.
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Going into the burning house for the third time, Coleman passed out while trying to save Hammer. When the authorities arrived, they airlifted him to the nearest hospital after he suffered extreme smoke inhalation. Per reports, sadly, the beloved family dog passed away. In August 2023, the former fighter posted a picture with his dog on Instagram, writing, “Young Hammer getting big. I can’t believe how much I love this dog. I try to be more like him. He’s nice and calm and patient.”
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The news of Hammer’s passing will undoubtedly be a tough pill to swallow for Coleman. But to make matters worse, the former fighter’s condition isn’t the best either. However, amid all the love and support Coleman and his family are receiving, there’s one overwhelming belief: if anyone can make it through this, it’s ‘The Hammer.’
As reported by wtol.com, the first responders on the scene revealed the fire started in the kitchen. However, the cause isn’t known yet. The nearest fire hydrant to the house was a mile away, so the firefighting crew had to use a portable pool. Per the Chief of the Ballville Volunteer Fire Department, the house’s roof collapsed when the team entered, and now, it’s believed to be unsalvageable.
As for the Hall of Famer, while fans and fellow professionals pray for his recovery, this isn’t the first time Mark Coleman has given the UFC community a health scare.
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Mark Coleman’s past health issues
The UFC Hall-of-Famer’s health has been dicey over the last few years. Back in November 2020, Mark Coleman began experiencing excruciating pain that could have cost him his life. According to the fighter, he was feeling intense pain in his chest and arms, which prompted him to go to a hospital, where he discovered that there was a blockage in an artery. Thankfully, he was able to catch it all early and survive.
More recently, he announced on Instagram that he’d be undergoing an emergency surgery. He wrote, “The hematoma’s back, the infection is back. Gonna have to go in and clean it out. Put me on a picket line probably for six weeks. And we’ll go from there.” With this fire adding to his health woes, many in the UFC and MMA community showed their support for the former champion.
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MMA fighter Jalin Turner wrote, “Sending Prayers 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾” Amateur MMA fighter Hansel Aquino expressed his belief in ‘The Hammer,’ writing, “He will overcome this 🙏🏼” Dricus Du Plessis penned, “🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻” Referring to how Mark Coleman ran through fire to save his family, Canadian mixed martial artist Mike Malott wrote, “What a hero.”
