Mark Coleman
MMA Record: 15-8-0
Fighter Height: 6' 1" (185 cm)
Fighter 255 (116 kg)
After a career in wrestling that saw him earn an NCAA Champion and All-American for The Ohio State University, as well as a member of the 1992 US Olympic team, Columbus’ own Mark Coleman was no stranger to athletic excellence. But at 31, he had reached a crossroads in his career and didn’t know where he was heading until he saw the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
An intense training camp later, he entered the Octagon for the first time at UFC 10 in 1996, and suddenly, the mild-mannered Coleman became ‘The Hammer’, as he defeated Moti Horenstein, Gary Goodridge, and Don Frye in succession to win that night’s tournament and introduce a new phrase into the mixed martial arts vernacular – Ground and Pound.
Another tournament win followed just two months later as he defeated Julian Sanchez and Brian Johnston in a combined three minutes and five seconds, and at UFC 12 he defeated future Hall of Famer Dan Severn in less than three minutes to become the first UFC Heavyweight Champion.
A true pioneer of the game whose influence is felt to this day, Mark Coleman proved that wrestlers not only could be successful in mixed martial arts, but that they could dominate.
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Fighter Height: 6' 1" (185 cm)
Fighter 255 (116 kg)
After a career in wrestling that saw him earn an NCAA Champion and All-American for The Ohio State University, as well as a member of the 1992 US Olympic team, Columbus’ own Mark Coleman was no stranger to athletic excellence. But at 31, he had reached a crossroads in his career and didn’t know where he was heading until he saw the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
An intense training camp later, he entered the Octagon for the first time at UFC 10 in 1996, and suddenly, the mild-mannered Coleman became ‘The Hammer’, as he defeated Moti Horenstein, Gary Goodridge, and Don Frye in succession to win that night’s tournament and introduce a new phrase into the mixed martial arts vernacular – Ground and Pound.
Another tournament win followed just two months later as he defeated Julian Sanchez and Brian Johnston in a combined three minutes and five seconds, and at UFC 12 he defeated future Hall of Famer Dan Severn in less than three minutes to become the first UFC Heavyweight Champion.
A true pioneer of the game whose influence is felt to this day, Mark Coleman proved that wrestlers not only could be successful in mixed martial arts, but that they could dominate.
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