UFC Hall Of Famer Mark Coleman is well aware of his capabilities at 46 years old and has strongly considered retirement.
However, there is one bout Coleman would be willing to compete in before he calls it a career.
“An opportunity to fight Herschel Walker would be something that I would drop everything [for] and try to train and prepare for him,” Coleman recently told MMAJunkie.com.
A bout against an opponent who is around the same age as Coleman wouldn’t exactly excite fans to watch or pay the price of admission to see. Fans saw Coleman already get battered and beaten up by another middle-aged veteran in Randy Couture at UFC 109, and Coleman said he hasn’t felt the desire to train and prepare since then.
However a bout with the former NFL star would motivate Coleman to get back in the gym and train accordingly, at this point it is only a rumour, and “The Hammer” tries not to think too much about it.
Coleman has been comfortable with his post-fight career, as he recently took a position at Ultimate Brand Management. The licensing company, which owns multiple MMA-related companies, allows Coleman to travel and make appearances and sign autographs.
It is not a role most fans would imagine Coleman in, but it helps him remain financially comfortable and provides him with a different outlook on life, which he said he envisioned completely different.
“You think you can fight forever. I thought I could fight forever. And really, it comes to an end quick,” he said.
And although he can’t claim any insurance from the new accident-insurance policy the UFC recently announced, Coleman is fortunate enough to afford his own health insurance and he believes it will benefit fighters competing in the organization.
“Guys that can afford it are lucky. But a lot of guys can’t afford it. It’s not a regular job here. This is ultimate fighting. You’re doing multiple high-risk training sessions, and the potential for injury is there. As a former fighter, I think it’s great,” he said.
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