UFC fans have often witnessed their beloved athletes make superb comebacks years after they left the Octagon. The most recent comeback is of the noted UFC Heavyweight champ, Jon Jones. ‘Bones’ defeated his opponent in the initial round of his comeback bout at UFC 285 to claim the UFC Heavyweight championship. This time, it’s the first-ever UFC Heavyweight champion who’s hoping to make a grand return to combat sports.
The legend being talked about here is Mark Coleman. Recently, the 58-year-old revealed his plans to take part in a Celebrity Boxing match. Like a lot of other MMA personalities, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s coach, Javier Mendez, also gave his opinion about Coleman’s decision when he appeared on his YouTube podcast.
Javier Mendez labeled Mark Coleman a warrior
It was the podcast host, Len, who turned the discussion towards this issue. Len questioned Mendez, “Currently, Mark Coleman’s coming back, in his 50s, to box. What do you think about that?”
The American Kickboxing Academy coach revealed he supported Coleman’s decision. Mendez stated, “I think it’s great. Mark Coleman is an inspiration for a lot of people. I follow him on Instagram. I love his instagram posts.” Len further pointed out that Coleman has lost some weight since the announcement.
It’s evident Coleman is serious about his return to combat sports. A few days back, he stretched out his hand to the noted boxing legend, Mike Tyson. The veteran fighter asked Tyson for help in preparation for his probable Celebrity Boxing bout against Montell Griffin.
Mark Coleman’s battle with addiction
Although the first-ever UFC Heavyweight champion saw massive success in his career, it was considerably shortened by his addiction issues. Coleman also suffered a heart attack in November, 2020. But Coleman refused to bow down to his demons.
Mendez stated in the podcast, “He’s been lean and sober for all these years. He’s a warrior. I have the utmost respect for that guy and what he’s done”. He also said, “for a lot of people struggling with what he’s struggled with, he’s a success story”.