00:00This MMA fighter became a possum dad and it all actually started weeks before with one very special possum rescue.
00:09You might remember Cole, a professional MMA fighter who one day went on a bike ride and somehow came home
00:15as a possum dad.
00:17We first shared his story after he rescued an orphaned baby possum named Rodrigo and helped nurse him back to
00:25health.
00:26After I threw the possum into the bush, he was shaking and looking at me and I realized he's just
00:31a little baby.
00:32And I was like, all right, Rodrigo, you're coming with me.
00:36That one little rescue ended up opening this brand new chapter in Cole's life.
00:42One that I definitely think he did not see coming. And that's how another possum eventually found her way to
00:50him.
00:51So then I got a phone call about Daisy. She was in a laundry basket.
00:55Inside the laundry basket was this little like pineapple. She was just sitting inside there.
01:00So I picked this little baby up.
01:02Tiny and terrified of pretty much everything, Daisy unfortunately lost her family when she was just a baby and she
01:11couldn't survive on her own.
01:14They found her because one of the neighbors was trying to get rid of all the possums so he was
01:19killing all of them.
01:20And they found this little one that was probably one of the last ones alive and they brought her to
01:25me.
01:25She probably doesn't have a lot of the things that they learn from their siblings and their mom when they're
01:31babies.
01:32But this time around, Cole felt more prepared.
01:34All right, I guess I'm mom now.
01:37After a week, she loved being held.
01:48She goes everywhere with him and does not leave his side 24-7.
01:54There is something so heartwarming in seeing these two completely different sides of Cole's life.
02:01I'm a professional mixed martial artist. I'm a professional fighter.
02:04I'm known to be a pretty formidable opponent.
02:07It's about time to give her a little bath and a nail trimming.
02:11Me taking care of possums and these little baby things had one of my friends reach out to me and
02:16he was like,
02:16that's a tough guy thing to do.
02:17And what I realized in that moment was the dichotomy between how I move as a professional athlete,
02:24but also like taking care of these little babies that can take care of themselves,
02:28really like impacted the way people saw what being a man was.
02:39Since the last time we caught up with Cole, he's gotten more involved in volunteering with wildlife and helping possums
02:46in need.
02:47And he hopes to use his platform as a professional fighter to advocate for animals that people might otherwise overlook.
02:55She turns out to be super healthy and her lungs are all cleared up.
02:59No more sneezing, wheezing or coughing.
03:00Everyone's like, I had no idea they were this nice.
03:03She's done an incredible job at changing a lot of people's minds, you know.
03:08So while they find a long-term home for her, Daisy will remain in Cole's care.
03:15I've already learned a lot. I want to help out with wildlife and just volunteering my time in between my
03:20fights.
03:20I'm very proud to be a possum dad.
03:31So I've lost my friends with my friends and friends with my friends.
03:36You will be able to walk away from a龍 but the sea is in a gym.
03:36I'm very proud to be a my wife.
03:37I'm very proud to be a guest.
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