UFC legend Stephan Bonnar has died at the age of 45. The Hall of Famer died on Thursday, December 22, with reports suggesting he died of heart issues, according to UFC. Bonna is widely credited with sparking a hike in interest in mixed martial arts (MMA) thanks to his rivalry with Forrest Griffin.
Who was Stephan Bonnar?
Stephan Bonnar was an American professional wrestler and professional mixed martial artist. He competed as a Light Heavyweight in the UFC for most of his career. Bonnar was the runner-up on The Ultimate Fighter 1, his TUF Ultimate Finale loss to Forrest Griffin is known to be one of the most important fights in UFC history.
In addition to Griffin, Bonnar faced world champions Silva, Lyoto Machida, Tito Ortiz, Mark Coleman, Jon Jones, and Rashad Evans.
Bonnar was born on April 4, 1977, in Hammond, Indiana, and raised in Munster, Indiana. He attended Munster High School. He started wrestling at the age of 10 Tae Kwon Do at age 12, and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu at age 22. He started learning Boxing and Muay Thai when he was 24 years old. He received his blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do at the age of 16. Bonnar was a two-time Golden Gloves Champion in the Super heavyweight division. In 200, he graduated from Purdue University, earning a degree in Sports medicine.
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He married his long-time girlfriend Andrea on October 30, 2009, in Tuscany, Italy. The couple has one son, named Griffin Brandon.
After retiring from mixed martial arts, He was appointed the president o North Star Combat, a Minnesota-based MMA promotion. According to celebworth.net, Bonnar had a net worth of $500,000.
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Stephan Bonnar mixed martial arts stats
The American Psycho, a legend in the world of mixed martial arts served as one-half of the fight much credit with turning around a then-struggling UFC. However, he lost the bout at “The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale” against Forrest Griffin in April 2005 but its impact was felt for generations.
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Bonnar competed 26 times as a professional, with UFC appearances and one for Bellator. He made his professional Bellator on November 10, 2001, with his UFC debut eight fights later. He entered the UFC at 7-1, and although he lost the fight to Griffin, he won his next three.
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He divides his next four at 2-2 with losses to Rashad Evans and Griffin and subsequent wins over Mark Nickals and Eric Schaefer. A defeat to Anderson Silva in a makeshift UFC 153 main event was his final bout for the promotion. He announced retirement after a failed drug test. However, he re-entered the competition to face Tito Ortiz in Bellator in 2014 and lost by a split decision. Bonnar was a beloved personality for his toughness and significance to the sport.
