When it comes to MMA pioneers, Mark ‘The Hammer’ Coleman is a name that may not be readily recognizable by younger fans. Nonetheless, his impact on the sport is undeniable. The winner of UFC 10 and UFC 11 tournaments, and the first UFC Heavyweight champion, Coleman is also known as ‘The Godfather of Ground-and-Pound’ – a nickname which gives credit to his propensity of taking down his opponents and beating them up on the ground, a technique that you can see exhibited in virtually every MMA event today.
As an accomplished collegiate and amateur wrestler, Mark Coleman was also very influential in showing that wrestling is an excellent base for MMA, a statement which holds true to this day. Coleman’s wrestling accomplishments include multiple NCCA and Pan-American championships, and placing seventh in the 1992 Summer Olympics. “I choked” – is how Mark Coleman describes his Olympic experience to Betway. Of course Coleman had inspirations of bringing home a gold medal, and he also tried out for the 1996 Olympics – but was defeated by Kurt Angle and did not qualify for Team USA. Keep Reading