Mark Coleman has been left fighting for his life after rescuing his parents and then going back in to attempt to save their family pet from a raging house fire.
Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, the former UFC champion's daughter, Morgan, posted a statement in which she gave fans an update about her father's condition after the incident.
"As many know, our dad was involved in a house fire early this morning along with his parents and beloved dog, hammer," she wrote in a photo caption alongside a snapshot of her sister Kenzie and their dad. "He managed to carry both of his parents out of the house but despite his best efforts was not able to save hammer."
She then went on to reveal that the 59-year-old is now "battling for his life" after he was "life-flighted to the hospital."
"Our father has always been our hero and means the world to us. He is and always will be a fighter," Morgan continued in the post. "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."
She concluded the post by thanking everyone for their "love and support," before adding: "Hammer house for life."
Have a look at the full post below:
According to CBS affiliate news station WTOL, fire crews in Fremont, Ohio responded to calls about a blaze shortly after 4AM on Tuesday morning.
While it was revealed that the fire reportedly started in the kitchen, an official cause is not yet known.
Mark Coleman, often referred to as "The Hammer," is a retired mixed martial artist who played a significant role in the early years of the UFC and in mixed martial arts overall.
Mark made his UFC debut at UFC 10 back in 1996, where he won the UFC 10 tournament, before going on to claim victory in both UFC 11 and UFC 12.
In 1997, Mark became the first-ever UFC Heavyweight Champion by defeating Dan Severn in the finals of the heavyweight tournament.
This victory cemented his status as one of the dominant forces in the early days of the UFC.
In 2008, he was also inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame before going on to become a coach and mentor to upcoming fighters who wanted to make an impact in the industry.
In his personal life, he battled some health issues including a heart attack in 2020 before going to rehab to get help for his alcohol addiction the year after.
Our thoughts are with Mark Coleman and the rest of the Hammer family during this difficult time. We hope to see him make a full recovery.