Rest in Peace Stephan Bonnar

Stephan Bonnar was a UFC/MMA legend. We may be a little late to honor Bonnar, but we wouldn't be doing our job if we didn't. Bonnar passed at the age of 45 on the twenty-second of December. With a UFC record of 8-7, Bonnar is one of the "OG's" of the fight game. Frankly, if it wasn't for the famous fight on the Ultimate Fighter against Forrest Griffin the UFC might have never blown up. Yes, Bonnar lost this fight to Griffin, but sometimes the loser of the fight can still win the hearts of many through resilience and the ability to get hit and keep moving forward. Bonnar didn't just take shots though, he battered Forrest Griffin's face. The fight was three rounds of relentless action. Bonnar and Griffin both knew exactly what they were fighting for. A UFC contract. Before Bruce Buffer announced the winner, he called the fight the "greatest action" inside a UFC octagon, and to that point in 2005 it was. You can still argue today that it might be. Joe Rogan even called the fight the "Hagler Hurns of the UFC" after the first round. Forrest Griffin won in a unanimous decision. However, Dana White got on the microphone after the decision and said there were no losers, both men earned their UFC contracts that night.

It is such a shame that Bonnar is gone too soon at the age of 45. The worst part is that Stephan Bonnar was struggling for the last few years with his health and his mental health. A video surfaced recently where you can see the pain in Bonnar. Stephan had an issue with painkillers after his career had ended. Bonnar died of heart complications. This is extremely sad and a huge loss to the MMA community. Our thoughts and prayers are with Bonnar's family. I can't imagine how awful of a holiday they had. However, this should also be a major warning sign to UFC and MMA fighters to get help once their career ends. Stephan Bonnar has had numerous wars throughout his career. The UFC/MMA community is thankful for what he did for the UFC, but we are extremely saddened to lose him so early.