Retired UFC icon Mark Coleman was airlifted to hospital in life-threatening condition on March 12, 2024, after rescuing himself and his parents from a blazing house fire that sadly claimed the life of his dog, Hammer. Smoke inhalation had put Coleman straight into intensive care, but as his recent Instagram updates show, the master of the “ground and pound” is coming back strong. Still, some fans are concerned that the former champ is doing too much, too soon.
Despite giving fans and loved ones a serious scare, Coleman made a return to Instagram a few days after the tragic fire, through his daughter Kenzie, in a touching message on March 15. In it, the UFC star thanked everyone for their support and encouraged followers to cherish each precious moment. “Tomorrow is not promised,” he said. The fighter also paid tribute to his loving dog, Hammer for raising the initial alarm by barking and alerting his owner that there was a fire. Coleman was allowed home to Columbus a few days later but unfortunately was rushed back to hospital within a couple of hours as it turned out he’d developed pneumonia. Thankfully, on March 17, the star was once again out of hospital and thanking his supporters, while giving his admiration and respect to the firefighters and medical staff that helped to save his life. “I like to act like a tough guy, but I’ve never been so scared in my life,” he admits.
Coleman believes that his lungs held up, in large part, thanks to the “16-hour marathon days” that he had been doing for the past year. “I’m glad I’m still here with you all, he continued, we have things to do.” Incredibly, Coleman meant what he said, as he was back in the cage on March 18, albeit just lending his support in training. By March 24, the 59-year-old was showing Instagram followers that he was now trying to get back into some form of routine, making small walks for exercise. “My throat is pretty sore still, my eyes are burning, but life is still good,” he enthused. Coleman said that he was “feeling a little stronger every day,” and was excited for another of his unspecified “marathon” days. Then, incredibly, on March 27 he was seen gloved up, doing light sparring with a young student. “There are no days off starting to turn it up feeling stronger every day,” he wrote.
Mark Coleman Says Health is Wealth But Fans are Concerned
On March 30, Coleman moved his training up yet another notch with an intense kettlebell workout that included him lifting the weights by a piece of material clasped inside his jaw. “Life is what you make it. Make it great,” he exclaimed in the video. For some, this was a step too far. “Hey boss, take a rest and cold bath,” wrote one Instagram follower. “Bro you trynna get hurt,” commented another. Still, there were also many messages of support. “Mark you are killing it,” said one fan. “Keep it up champ,” encouraged another. Undeterred, Coleman was back in the gym pounding the punchbag again on April 1. “I’ve been turning it up a lot lately good to be back in the gym. It has always been my peace,” he wrote. ( https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5O52XtpKIX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== )
While some are concerned for Coleman’s quick return to intense training, others are happy to see him back doing what he loves. In an earlier post, he said “Life can be rough, but you’ve got to get through the rough times and make the best of it.” The UFC legend has also now announced that he will make an appearance at UFC 300 (Periera vs Hill) on April 14. We wish you a speedy but safe recovery, Sir!
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