Stephan Bonnar Dies At 45 Due To Heart Complications
UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar dies at 45 years old. According to the announcement made by the promoter of mixed martial arts on Saturday, Stephan Bonnar passed away on Thursday.
Bonnar was a member of the Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Fame and is credited with helping to popularize mixed martial arts during the final fight of the first season of "The Ultimate Fighter."
An Important Fighter
The UFC said in a news release that Bonnar died:
“„from presumed heart complications while at work.
- UFC Organization
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UFC President Dana White said in the release:
“„Stephan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters to ever compete in the Octagon. His fight with Forrest Griffin changed the sport forever, and he will never be forgotten. The fans loved him, related to him and he always gave them his best. He will be missed.
- Dana White
The fledgling Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was saved by Bonnar's three-round light heavyweight final bout against Forrest Griffin in Las Vegas in 2005. This bout helped pave the way for the sport to become as popular as it is today. This match has been inducted into the Hall of Fame fight wing of the organization, which honors "the greatest, most memorable, and historically significant UFC bouts."
Bonnar later said, according to the release:
“„I knew it was a good fight during the fight. It hit me when everyone started stomping their feet and it felt like the whole place was shaking. And that was in the second round. I was like ‘oooh, this must be good.
- Stephan Bonnar
He also added:
“„Everything changed. I didn’t think I’d have a UFC career. It was just a little hobby I was doing, so it changed everything. Almost overnight, I became like a celebrity. Everywhere I went, someone would recognize me, even in obscure places.
- Stephan Bonnar
Stephan Bonnar Facts
Stephan Patrick Bonnar was an American MMA fighter. For the majority of his UFC career, Bonnar fought as a Light Heavyweight. Bonnar finished second on The Ultimate Fighter 1 and his TUF Ultimate Finale loss to Forrest Griffin is regarded as one of the most important fights in UFC history.
Bonnar was born in Hammond, Indiana, and grew up in Munster, Indiana, where he graduated from Munster High School. Bonnar had a long history in combat sports, beginning with wrestling when he was 10 years old, Tae Kwon Do when he was 12, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu when he was 22, and Boxing and Muay Thai when he was 24.
He received his black belt in Tae Kwon Do at the age of 16, and he was a two-time Golden Gloves Super Heavyweight champion. He attended Purdue University and graduated in 2000 with a degree in Sports Medicine.
During the summer of 1999, Bonnar began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu with Carlson Gracie, under whom he earned his purple belt. During several trips to Thailand, Bonnar also trained in Muay Thai. Bonnar has been training in Muay Thai in Las Vegas under Master One Kick Nick Blomgren at One Kick's Gym since the beginning of 2010.
Dana White announced that Bonnar and Griffin would be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame shortly after Griffin announced his retirement. On July 6, 2013, Bonnar and Griffin were officially inducted.
On August 27, 2014, Bellator announced that they had signed Bonnar to a multi-fight contract, effectively bringing him out of retirement. Bonnar lost a split decision to Tito Ortiz at Bellator 131 on November 15, 2014. Bonnar then retired for the second time.
Stephan made his pro wrestling debut in a Battle Royal on April 8, 2017 at Smashmouth Pro Wrestling's event Smashfest. On August 1, 2017, House of Glory, a New York City independent wrestling company, announced that Bonnar would be entering a wrestling ring for the first time to face Matt Riddle, another former UFC fighter and independent wrestler.
However, Riddle backed out, and he was replaced by Sho Tanaka of NJPW. "Speedball" Mike Bailey defeated Bonnar at the IWS Season's Beatings in Montreal on December 2, 2017. On September 14, 2019, Bonnar lost to Moose at Impact Wrestling's Victory Road 2019.
Final Words
During his seven-year career as a light heavyweight, Bonnar, also known as "The American Psycho," competed against future Hall of Famers such as Jon Jones, Rashad Evans, Anderson Silva, and Tito Ortiz. His career spanned.
The fighter, who hails from Hammond, Indiana, finished his UFC career with a record of 17-9, beating competitors like Krzysztof Soszynski, Igor Pokrajac, and James Irvin along the way.
