Stephan
Bonnar, whose fight with Forrest
Griffin at “The Ultimate Fighter 1” finale propelled the UFC to
a new level of popularity, has died at 45 years old.
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The UFC announced Bonnar’s passing in a statement
on Saturday. The cause of death was revealed to be “presumed heart
complications while at work.”
“Stephan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters to ever
compete in the Octagon,” said UFC President Dana White. “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 is perhaps best known was his time on “TUF 1,” where he
reached the finals of the reality show and received a UFC contract
after losing a unanimous decision to Griffin in a memorable clash
on April 9, 2005. That bout was later enshrined in the UFC Hall of
Fame’s “Fight Wing.”
That led to a seven-year career with the Las Vegas-based promotion
that saw “The American Psycho” compile an 8-7 mark in the Octagon.
He earned wins over the likes of Keith
Jardine, James Irvin
and Krzysztof
Soszynski and also squared off against noteworthy foes such as
Anderson
Silva, Jon Jones,
Mark
Coleman and Rashad
Evans.
Bonnar initially announced his retirement following a loss to
Anderson
Silva at UFC 153 in October 2012, but he made a brief return to
MMA two years later, falling to Tito Ortiz via
split decision at Bellator 131 on Nov. 15, 2014.