FREMONT, Ohio — Mark Coleman, a retired mixed martial artist and UFC Hall of Fame inductee, was hospitalized for smoke inhalation Tuesday after he rescued his parents from a house fire in his hometown of Fremont.
In an Instagram post, Coleman's daughter said he went back into the home to try to save the family dog, named Hammer, but was unable to.
Coleman's daughter, Morgan, on Instagram said he "was life-flighted to the hospital where he is currently battling for his life after this heroic act."
"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. Please continue to pray for him and our family during this extremely difficult time. We will miss our sweet hammer so deeply."
Morgan Coleman also organized a GoFundMe to help pay for Mark's living expenses and support his daughters who are taking time off work to be by their father's side along with other family expenses. As of Wednesday night, the GoFundMe exceeded its donation goal of $50,000.
The house is believed to be a total loss, according to authorities. The fire happened just after 4 a.m. on Tuesday.
Seven fire departments responded to the fire on South River Road in Ballville Township. The Ballville Township Fire Department Chief told WTOL 11 the roof of the home collapsed shortly after crews entered the building.
The fire began in the kitchen, but the exact cause has not been identified.
Coleman, nicknamed "The Hammer," debuted in UFC in 1996 and his last bout for the company was in 2010, ending his career at 16-10.
He was also on the U.S. wrestling team in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where he placed seventh.
Coleman formerly wrestled at Ohio State University, which offered thoughts and prayers to Coleman and his family in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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