Mark Coleman, the first official Heavyweight to become champion at the UFC, seems to be angling for a return to fighting; though not in the cage. The announcement of Coleman signing with Original Celebrity Boxing ― a promotion dedicated to offering fights featuring mostly retired professional fighters, was made on May 26th.
Though Original Celebrity Boxing (OCB) has most recently gained public attention for promoting the scheduled June 30th fight between legend Roy Jones Jr. and former bodybuilder Ndo Champ (real name: Robert Wilmote), the promotion has existed for over two decades and has put out numerous shows featuring celebrities, most prominently American police abuse victim Rodney King ― who ironically fought an ex-police officer ― and former American Ice Skating champion Tonya Harding.
Founded and led by longtime promoter Damon Feldman, OCB had its own show on Fox, and managed to attract national attention during the early 2000s before the hype eventually died down. The promotion has since then focused on promoting fights between minor celebrities, though it has still managed to showcase some rather big fights featuring celebrities like Lamar Odom, Al B. Sure and Aaron Carter (younger brother of Backstreet Boys vocalist Nick Carter). Other celebrities have also performed for the promotion in non-fighting capacities.
Though their last event, which was held on March 11th, didn’t attract much attention, the announcement of the battle between Jones Jr. and Ndo Champ is the latest eye-drawer in an era where social media influencers are now starting to rise to prominence. In a sharp turn from what is mostly known as “YouTube boxing”, OCB seems to draw from a pool of older celebrities or stars whose popularity levels had risen to great national or even international fame.
58-year old Mark Coleman is set to fight on October 14th in Miami, though the venue has not yet been determined, against an opponent that has also not been found yet. Originally a Freestyle wrestler that participated in the Olympics at some point, Coleman eventually joined the UFC when it was still in its infancy. He was, therefore, one of the earliest participants in the MMA promotion, making his debut in UFC 10, where he won by technical knockout.
Coleman would proceed to dominate in his division over the course of several fights through two tournaments and by his third event, not even a year after his debut, he became the UFC’s first Heavyweight champion after submitting Dan Severn with a stupendous neck crank. Coleman’s championship win became the highlight of his MMA career, but he would go on to lose three times (including his first match as Heavyweight champion, which cost him the title to Maurice Smith) in the UFC before moving to the then equally-competitive MMA promotion of Pride FC.
Though perhaps not as well-known as other Heavyweights that would go on to dominate their division and propel the UFC to global recognition, Mark Coleman’s short reign as UFC Heavyweight champion set a precedent that has helped the promotion to become the global-recognized company it is now.
Conor McGregor has, in the meantime, stepped into the picture as a prospective opponent for Coleman but it is unknown whether this fight is realistic for multiple reasons. A global superstar even in this day and age, Conor McGregor would undoubtedly attract an unprecedented amount of attention to the company if they somehow manage to convince the Irishman to fight for them.
However, the potential of such a bout occurring is undermined by Coleman’s age and lack of boxing experience, raising doubts about which State Athletic Commissions would even sanction the fight. Roy Jones Jr., 54, is an exception in this case due to his vast experience as a professional boxer and his achievements in the sport as well as his continued participant in the sport as a trainer.
Mark Coleman, is not Roy Jones Jr. With his background steeped in wrestling, Coleman cannot draw from the same experience as a retired pro boxer and will have a lot of catching up to do given stand-up fighting (boxing, kickboxing etc.) had never been a strong staple during his MMA career to begin with.
Original Celebrity Boxing has further focused on recruiting older retired fighters to fill their roster, with Riddick Bowe reportedly signing a deal with the promotion two years ago while Paulie Malignaggi has competed in at least one match for the company.
Coleman may the promotion’s riskiest addition yet, and it will not be a surprise if Coleman is not allowed to enter the ring. The Florida State Athletic Commission (FSAC) ― who will need to sanction Coleman’s fight that is set in Miami, Florida ― has had a track record of questionable decisions which might give Mark Coleman the opportunity to present his boxing skills.
In particular, FSAC was responsible for allowing Evander Holyfield to participate in an exhibition bout at the age of 58 against former UFC champion Vitor Belfort in 2021, as well as Tito Ortiz who at 48-years old competed against the more experienced Anderson Silva in the same year.
There is therefore a good chance that Mark Coleman can compete in an exhibition contest on October 14th, but there is slim to no chance of Coleman competing in an actual professional boxing match. Facing an opponent like Conor McGregor due to his vast experience as a MMA fighter will likely not be on the cards for Mark Coleman for that very reason, but the former UFC champion can still draw plenty of eyes, if a suitable (and likely as aged as Coleman) opponent can be found.
