Mark Coleman has his return opponent.
MMA Mania has confirmed with sources that Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Hall of Famer and former promotional Heavyweight champion, Coleman (16-10 in MMA), will face Montell Griffin (50-8-1 in boxing) on Oct. 14, 2023. The Heavyweight match up will act as Coleman’s boxing debut, taking place at an Official Celebrity Boxing event in either Miami, Fla. or Chicago, Il., airing on Fite TV. A pre-fight press conference for the event will be held on Aug. 5, 2023.
Coleman, 58, has been retired from MMA competition since 2010. “The Hammer” last fought in UFC 109’s main event, suffering a second round rear-naked choke submission loss to Randy Couture in a Light Heavyweight Hall of Famer clash. He currently is most often seen coaching and cornering UFC Welterweight veteran, Matt Brown.
Griffin, 53, has been away from active competition for roughly the same amount as Coleman. The experienced boxer last fought in Aug. 2011, earning a unanimous decision win over DeAndrey Abron. Griffin most famously became the first man to defeat Roy Jones Jr., while also holding multiple wins over James Toney. “Ice” has captured IBF, NABF, WBC, IBC, and USBA titles during his career.
In 1992, Griffin competed as part of the U.S. Olympic team in boxing. Meanwhile, over in wrestling, Coleman battled to represent their country. Upon his arrival in MMA and UFC, Coleman quickly was coined the “Godfather of Ground and Pound” for his devastating ability to smash his foes once on the ground.