MMA’s Greats of the States | Ohio: Mark Coleman

Mixed martial artists come from every corner of the globe, bearing a variety of styles. Sometimes, fighters are products of their environment, favoring disciplines prevalent in the country or state from which they hail. Various regions of the United States are considered factories for great fighters, though that certainly is not the case with each state. In this weekly Sherdog.com series, the spotlight will shine on the best mixed martial artist of all-time from each of the 50 states. Fighters do not necessarily need to be born in a given state to represent it; they simply need to be associated with it.

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A state known for its passion for football and political influence, Ohio has been a mixed martial arts hotbed for years. Fighters like reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight titleholder Stipe Miocic and newly minted UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt are carrying on the tradition, but it was Mark Coleman who blazed the trail for fellow Buckeyes.

Coleman was a decorated amateur wrestler, as he won a national title at Ohio State University in 1988, captured three consecutive gold medals at the Pan American Games (1990-92) and represented the United States at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. From there, Coleman transitioned to MMA and quickly emerged as one of the sport’s top stars.

The Fremont, Ohio, native burst on the scene in July 1996, as he smashed through Moti Horenstein, Gary Goodridge and Don Frye to win the UFC 10 tournament. He replicated the feat at UFC 11 two months later before submitting future hall of famer Dan Severn to capture the heavyweight championship at UFC 12 on Feb. 7, 1997. Coleman surrendered the title to Maurice Smith and went on to lose four straight fights.

Perhaps his greatest triumph came not in the Octagon but in Pride Fighting Championships. Thought to be a shell of his former self, Coleman entered the 2000 Pride open weight grand prix to modest expectations. “The Godfather of Ground-and-Pound” turned back the clock in Japan, defeating Masaaki Satake, Akira Shoji, Kazuyuki Fujita and the great Igor Vovchanchyn to win the tournament.

In subsequent years, Coleman tested himself against some of MMA’s most accomplished fighters, from Fedor Emelianenko, Mauricio Rua and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to Mirko Filipovic and Randy Couture. He retired with a 16-10 record and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame on March 1, 2008.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Kevin Randleman, Stipe Miocic, Rich Franklin, Mark Kerr, Cody Garbrandt, Matt Brown