Mark Coleman to face former champion Montell Griffin in boxing debut in October
Former UFC heavyweight champion Mark Coleman is set to face Montell Griffin in October.
‘The Hammer’ is one of the more beloved figures from the early days of the promotion. He famously started 6-0 in his professional career, winning the UFC heavyweight title with a submission win over Dan Severn in 1997. That was arguably the biggest win of Mark Coleman’s career, but it was far from the last.
Over the next 13 years, the wrestler would travel to Japan and compete in PRIDE, eventually returning to the UFC in 2009. Mark Coleman would go 1-2 in his final stint with the Dana White-led promotion. His last bout ultimately came against Randy Couture at UFC 109 in 2010, losing by second-round submission.
Well over a decade later, Mark Coleman is now set to return to combat sports, albeit in a different capacity. Over the last year, the former UFC champion has teased that he could return in a boxing ring, or even in a slap-fighting competition. Now, the Hall of Famer has his opponent in Montell Griffin.
Image via @markdcoleman
The fight announcement was first reported by MMA Mania. While Mark Coleman has been retired for well over a decade, Montell Griffin has a similar story. ‘Ice’ has been out of the ring since a 2011 unanimous decision win over DeAndrey Abron, his 50th career win.
The boxer famously won gold at light-heavyweight, defeating Roy Jones Jr. by disqualification in 1997. Although ‘Captain Hook’ later avenged that loss by knockout, Montell Griffin still had a solid career and resume. He will now look to add Mark Coleman to that resume on October 14th.
The two heavyweights will headline a Celebrity Boxing event, and the fight itself will likely be an exhibition. The pay-per-view event is expected to be broadcast on FITE TV.
What do you make of this fight announcement? Will you watch Mark Coleman vs. Montell Griffin?
