MMA Hall of Fame: Mark Coleman

Mark Coleman is one notable UFC Hall of Famer that created the phrase “ground and pound”. He was one of the pioneer fighters of UFC, and traveled to Japan to compete for PRIDE. Mark Coleman was the first PRIDE Grand Prix winner in 2000, re-establishing himself as one of the best heavyweight fighters in the world. In 2009, Mark Coleman made a comeback in the UFC with a Fight of the Night performance against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.

Born in Fremont, Ohio in 1964, Mark Coleman started with freestyle wrestling as a teenager. He wrestled for Miami University and won as two-time Mid-American Conference wrestling champion. In his senior year, Mark Coleman won a NCAA championship. After college, he gained a spot on the US Wrestling team, and placed second at the FILA World Wrestling Championships in Varna, Bulgaria on 1991. During the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, Mark Coleman placed seventh in overall rankings.

Mark Coleman is known for his “ground and pound” techniques, taking down his opponents with superior wrestling fight moves. Though a very powerful fighter, he is not much of a submission contender and striker when it comes to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. However, Mark Coleman is known for forcing his opponents to play his game.

More Mark Coleman Facts

• * He coined the MMA phrase “ground and pound”.
• * Mark Coleman once defeated Kurt Angle in an amateur wrestling match in 1995.
• * He defeated Randy Couture in a freestyle wrestling match at the 1989 Olympic Festival at Oklahoma State.
• * He is the second oldest fighter to ever achieve victory in the UFC.