Stephan Bonnar, a UFC Hall of Famer who helped launch the promotion into the mainstream with his 2005 fight against Forrest Griffin in the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” has died. He was 45.
According to UFC, Bonnar died of presumed heart complications, ESPN reported.
Nicknamed the “American Psycho,” Bonnar’s fight against Griffin on April 9, 2005, is regarded as one of the most important fights in mixed martial arts history. Griffin won by a unanimous decision in the reality television series, but both men were awarded contracts with UFC by promotion president Dana White, according to ESPN.
Both men were inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2013.
The UFC family is saddened by the passing of UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar. We send our sincerest condolences to his family and friends.
— UFC (@ufc) December 24, 2022
“Stephan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters to ever compete in the octagon,” White said in a statement. “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.”
Bonnar fought 26 times as a professional, with 15 UFC appearances and one for Bellator, according to USA Today. He made his pro debut in 2001 and entered the UFC with a 7-1 record. Despite his loss to Griffin, Bonnar won his next three bouts, the newspaper reported.
Bonnar/Griffin changed the UFC forever! If you knew @StephanBonnar it was impossible not to love him, a loyal friend with a great sense of humor who once took over an entire floor of our hotel in Australia preparing his own kangaroo meal! RIP American Psycho, gone way too young! pic.twitter.com/KMPEADC1ZX
— Mike Goldberg (@GoldieOnTV) December 25, 2022
Bonnar, a native of Hammond, Indiana, but a longtime resident of Las Vegas, had not fought in a mixed martial arts bout since a 2014 match against Tito Ortiz in the Bellator MMA promotion, ESPN reported. His final fight in UFC was in 2012 against Anderson Silva.
He finished his pro career with a 15-9 record and faced seven future or former UFC champions, according to the sports news outlet.
After his MMA career ended, Bonnar made several appearances in Impact Wrestling, a pro wrestling promotion, in 2019.
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