Stephan Bonnar, a UFC Hall of Famer, has passed away at the age of 45. According to the UFC, the cause of death was assumed to be from heart complications. At the time of his death, Bonnar was at work.
In a statement, UFC President Dana White said, “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.”
Bonnar rose to fame on season one of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). His 2005 finale match with Forrest Griffin has been inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame’s fight wing and is considered one of the greatest UFC fights of all time.
The UFC Hall of Fame welcomed its first inductee of 2020 in the form of Stephan Bonnar, who is best known for his iconic fight with Forrest Griffin at the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF).
The bout is widely credited with saving the UFC, as it attracted a new generation of fans to the sport. Bonnar’s UFC career spanned over a decade and included his defeat of James Irvin, Keith Jardine, Krzysztof Soszynski, Igor Pokrajac and Kyle Kingsbury, as well as facing off against the likes of fellow Hall of Famers Forrest Griffin, Jon Jones, Rashad Evans, Mark Coleman, Anderson Silva and Tito Ortiz.
Reflecting on his career, Bonnar said, “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.” Bonnar is now the first inductee of the 2020 UFC Hall of Fame Class.