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First Place
Sam Morris The Las Vegas Sun
"Daddy's OK"
Ignoring the post-fight question posed by the public
address interviewer, Mark Coleman grabbed the microphone and yelled "I love
you girls! I'll be back," while jabbing a massive hand towards his daughters
in the audience. Moments before, nearly 12,000 people watched as the Pride
Fighting Championships heavyweight was beaten into submission by a Russian
giant when he found himself trapped an excruciating hold called an armbar.
Two of those 12,000 saw something entirely different: their Daddy got hurt.
To calm the tears and fears of his daughters Morgan, 9, and McKenzie, 7, the
bloodied Coleman embraced his daughters while caressing their hair and
repeating over and over that 'Daddy's OK. Daddy's OK,' after they were lifted
up to the ring and into his waiting arms. When his repeated reassurance that
'Daddy's OK, it's all over. It's all over. Daddy's OK. Let's go have some fun
now,' failed to completely calm the girls, Coleman took them to center ring
and introduced them to Fedor Emelianenko, the man who turned his face into a
bloody pulp. After a minute or two of talk, Coleman playfully tagged the
Russian champion with light tap to the chin and then raised his arms in
victory Æ maybe Daddy is invulnerable after all. As the near-sellout crowd
continued to file out of the Thomas & Mack Center, it seemed as if only a
handful of photographers paid attention to the scene until a ringside judge
was seen surreptitiously rubbing his eyes and wiping his cheeks. Of course,
it is within the realm of possibility that he had piece of dust in his eye.
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