UFC Champ Mark Coleman Finally Wakes up Days After Rescuing Parents from Fire: ‘Miracles Do Happen’

The family of UFC Hall of Famer and former champion Mark Coleman is thanking God he is awake and alive after being in critical condition from inhaling smoke from a house fire earlier this week.

Coleman was awakened by his family dog, Hammer, at 4 a.m. Tuesday when a fire broke out at his childhood home while visiting his parents in Toledo, Ohio.

Coleman managed to get his elderly parents out of the home unharmed but went back in to save the dog. 

Unfortunately, the dog did not make it and Coleman had to be life-flighted to the nearest hospital after inhaling large amounts of smoke. 

The 59-year-old woke up Thursday after being in critical condition for two days. 

A video posted to Facebook by Coleman’s daughter, Kenzie, shows the former pro-wrestler weeping as he embraces and speaks to his daughter for the first time since the fire. 

“God is good. Miracles do happen. Our dad is breathing on his own. We want to thank you all for the love and support from the bottom of our hearts,” Kenzie wrote in the post.

“Wow! The power of prayer and overwhelming support means everything to us. Miracles do happen! Our Dad is breathing on his own. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts and please keep praying for our Dad as he continues his recovery,” said his other daughter, Morgan.  

Coleman thanked God that he survived the fire. 

“I am the happiest man in the world. Sweet God, I’m so lucky. I can’t believe my parents are alive,” he said. “I had to make a decision because I went out of my room and got to the door and it was already horrible. I couldn’t breathe. I almost had to go outside. I went back and got [my parents], I can’t believe it. I got them, but I couldn’t find Hammer.”

Morgan and Kenzie organized a GoFundMe campaign to help raise funds for hospital expenses. 

On the site, they detailed their father’s rescue effort and asked for prayer. 

“We all knew he was one of the best athletes, now we know he is a true Hero,” they wrote. “Please keep praying with us that our hero has complete healing.”

To date, the campaign has raised more than $100,000. 

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