UFC | UFC Hall of Famer Stefan Bonnar (45) has died

The ultimate fighter

The general public was first introduced to “The American Psycho” in 2005 during the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter.

With tastemakers like Forrest Griffin, Diego Sanchez, Kenny Florian, Josh Koscheck, and Chris Leben, Bonnar has quickly become one of the crowd favorites of the season. Bonnar reached the final against Forest Griffin.

creative

The final will go down in history as one of the most iconic matches ever in the UFC and, according to UFC President Dana White, the most important match in UFC history. The UFC was on its last legs trying to salvage the business with a new concept on Spike TV. This concept became The Ultimate Fighter.

Lifeguards from the UFC

The show had to attract new audiences in order for the UFC to thrive again. For the first time in MMA history, audiences saw a sort of “big brother” showcasing the fighters’ backgrounds and fighting for a contract in the UFC.

The final match between Griffin and Bonnar was shown on national television in the United States. The match was so great that the ratings rose by the second. According to Dana White, this fight was a saving grace for the UFC.

a contract

After three tough rounds, Forrest Griffin was crowned the winner. Bonnar crashed and collapsed from exhaustion.

However, Dana White gleefully burst forth and declared that there was no loser in the fight, and Bonnar was also offered a contract by the UFC. This was the beginning of a beautiful and respectful rivalry between both fighters.

legends

However, Bonnar will never play a significant role in the UFC when it comes to title fights. Bonnar fought against big names like Jon Jones, Mark Coleman, Rashad Evans and Anderson Silva but was unsuccessful in those matches.

Bonnar also lost his rematch a year and a half after the iconic match against Griffin. Bonnar beat Keith Jardine, Sam Hoeger, and Krzysztof Suszynski in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

hall of fame

Shortly after Forrest Griffin indicated in 2013 that he would stop and Bonnar also took a year off from the UFC, the UFC decided to add the fight between the two men to the Hall of Fame.

This made Griffin and Bonnar UFC Hall of Famers. The fight is the first fight ever to be inducted into the Hall of Fame by the UFC.

post picnic

Bonnar fought again in MMA. In 2014, the American competed against another UFC Hall of Famer, Tito Ortiz. This fight took place in the Bellator MMA organization. The lead-up to the battle was more exciting than the fight itself.

Some kind of WWE show was created by both men. In the end it was Ortiz who won by split decision. Bonnar has retired from MMA. Between 2017 and 2021, Bonnar appeared on the wrestling show.

legacy

Bonnar will forever be seen as one of the biggest favorites in the UFC and one of the organization’s saviors with his famous first fight against Griffin.