UFC Legend Mark Coleman Gifted UFC 300 Tickets After Saving Parents from House Fire
April 2, 2024
UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman will be at T-Mobile Arena for UFC 300 nearly one month to the day after he was hospitalized as a result of saving his parents from a house fire.
In a post on Instagram, Coleman confirmed the UFC provided tickets to him and his daughters for the milestone show.
The news comes one day after former featherweight champion Max Holloway, who is challenging Justin Gaethje for the symbolic BMF title, told MMA Junkie it "would be an honor" to have Coleman present the winner with the championship.
MMA Junkie @MMAJunkieThe BMF title lineage says someone special needs to wrap the belt around the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UFC300?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UFC300</a> winner – and Max Holloway sees no better candidate than Mark Coleman.<br><br>"The guy's a G. That's a real life BMF. That would be sick."<br><br>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeBohn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MikeBohn</a>) <a href="https://t.co/MthDSua0rq">pic.twitter.com/MthDSua0rq</a>
The UFC has had a special presenter for each of the previous two BMF title bouts. The Rock presented the belt to Jorge Masvidal when he defeated Nate Diaz in the inaugural championship match at UFC 244.
Masvidal presented it to Gaethje after his victory over Dustin Poirier at UFC 291 in July 2023.
Coleman's manager, Michael DiSabato, announced on March 12 that the former UFC champion was in an induced coma and in intensive care stemming from smoke inhalation he sustained while rescuing his parents from a house fire at their house.
Coleman pulled his father out first and then his mother. He went back into the burning house a third time in an attempt to rescue the family dog, but he was unsuccessful in getting it out.
Morgan Coleman, Mark's daughter, wrote that same day on Instagram her father was air-lifted to a local hospital and was "battling for his life after this heroic act."
Coleman announced on March 17 he was released from the hospital.
"My lungs are sore. My eyes are burned, but I'm very much alive and well," Coleman said. "I feel so blessed it's in my higher power's hands. He wants me to move forward today and I am."
Nicknamed The Hammer during his fighting career, Coleman was the first UFC heavyweight champion when he defeated Dan Severn via submission at UFC 12 on Feb. 7, 1997.
Coleman was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2008. He officially retired from competition in 2013 after a 16-10 record in mixed martial arts.
UFC 300 will take place on April 13. The main event will feature Alex Pereira defending the light heavyweight title against Jamahal Hill.
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