Mark Coleman was hospitalized after saving his parents from a house fire in Toledo, Ohio, on Tuesday morning, his daughters Morgan and Kenzie confirmed via Instagram.
The UFC Hall of Famer’s parents, Dan and Connie Foos Coleman, were trapped in their burning home when Mark, 59, entered the home to pull them to safety. He also returned to the home and tried to rescue his dog, Hammer, but the dog did not survive, authorities said.
Mark’s daughter, Kenzie, shared on her Instagram stories that his dog “saved [Mark’s] life barking until it wakes up.”
The roof then collapsed shortly after firefighters arrived on the scene, TMZ reports. Mark was airlifted to a local hospital, his daughters and friend Wes Sims confirmed in separate social media posts.
In his Facebook post, Sims shared that Mark is “currently intubated and sedated.”
Sims tells PEOPLE he refused to give more information until Mark wakes up. “No one can tell the Mark Coleman story like Mark Coleman! Please keep him in your prayers! 🙏 Thank you! 🙏,” says Sims.
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Mark Coleman on February 6, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jon Kopaloff/Getty
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Mark’s daughter Morgan posted more details on Instagram. “He managed to get both parents out of the house, but despite his best efforts he was unable to save Hammer. He was taken to the hospital where he is currently fighting for his life after this heroic act,” Morgan wrote in the Instagram caption that accompanied a throwback photo of her, Mark and her sister Kenzie.
“Our father was always our hero and meant the world to us. He is and always will be a fighter. The strongest and bravest man I know,” she continued. “Please continue to pray for him and our family at this extremely difficult time. We will miss our sweet hammer very much.”
Kenzie shared her sister’s Instagram post on her Stories on Tuesday afternoon. “Today I woke up to some of the most devastating news. Anyone who knows me knows that my dad is my world. Whatever you believe, please keep my dad and family in your thoughts and prayers. I love you dad, if anyone can get through this, it’s you,” she wrote to Story.
“They already took my dog from me, please don’t take my dad… tear my little dog apart who was my world,” Kenzie concluded.
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Mark Coleman on November 1, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jim Kemper/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty
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The UFC legend, known as the “Godfather of ground-and-pound,” first entered the mixed martial arts (MMA) arena in 1996.
He then became the heavyweight champion at UFC 10 and repeated as champion at UFC 11. He was inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame in 2008. He officially retired from MMA in 2013, ESPN reported. After retiring, he suffered a heart attack in 2020, MMA Fighting Newswire reported.
Representatives for the Toledo Fire Department and the Ballville Volunteer Fire Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information on Tuesday.
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