UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar dead at 45; MMA community mourns

UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar, who made history as a finalist on the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” has died. He was 45.

The UFC announced the news Saturday, Christmas Eve, and cited heart complications at work as the cause of Bonnar’s death, which occurred Thursday.

A legend in the world of mixed martial arts, “The American Psycho” Bonnar served as one half of the fight many credit with turning around a then-struggling UFC. Although he lost that bout at “The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale” against Forrest Griffin in April 2005, its impact was felt for generations to come. Eventually the bout was inducted into the Fight Wing of The UFC Hall of Fame in 2013.

“Stephan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters to ever compete in the octagon,” UFC President Dana White in a statement. “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 competed 26 times as a professional, with 15 UFC appearances and one for Bellator. He made his pro debut in 2001, with his UFC debut eight fights later. Bonnar entered the UFC at 7-1, and although he lost the fight to Griffin, he won his next three.

He split his next four at 2-2 with losses to Rashad Evans and Griffin, and subsequent wins over Mark Nickals and Eric Schaefer. Bonnar then entered a three-fight skid with defeats to Jon Jones, Marc Coleman, and Krzysztof Soszynski. He won a rematch against Soszynski before defeating Igor Pokrajac and Kyle Kingsbury.

A loss to Anderson Silva in a makeshift UFC 153 main event was his final bout for the promotion. Bonnar parted ways with the promotion after a failed drug test and claimed retirement. However, he reentered competition to fight Tito Ortiz in Bellator in 2014 and lost by split decision.

Bonnar was in the headlines intermittently following his final MMA bout. In 2019, he competed for Impact Wrestling after a two-year build on the independent pro wrestling circuit. In 2020, Bonnar briefly reentered the MMA circuit as a cornerman for fellow TUF 1 contestant Diego Sanchez. In April 2022, Bonnar had more struggles outside the cage when his house burned down.

Throughout the MMA community, Bonnar was a beloved figure for his toughness and significance to the sport. Many fighters, promoters, fans, and loved ones flocked to social media Saturday to mourn the loss of a UFC pioneer.

Scroll below to see some of those reactions.

UFC

The UFC family is saddened by the passing of UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar. We send our sincerest condolences to his family and friends.

— UFC (@ufc) December 24, 2022

Jake Paul

RIP to the American Pyscho, Stephan Bonnar. I remember watching him and Anderson Silva.

From what I’ve read, without him and Forrest Griffin, UFC may have not made it.

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) December 24, 2022

Ariel Helwani

Horrible news. Not hyperbole to state that without Stephan Bonnar’s contributions on TUF 1 (and the finale) the sport isn’t what it is today. He will forever be an extremely important part of MMA history.

May he rest in peace. https://t.co/32e0wIr3fj

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) December 24, 2022

Renato Moicano

Rip legend Stephan Bonnar…. Sad year for the MMA community… #ufc #mma

— Renato Moicano UFC (@moicanoufc) December 24, 2022

Aaron Bronsteter

RIP Stephan Bonnar – UFC Hall of Famer and one half of one of the most iconic fights in UFC history https://t.co/qS5QZev9uX

— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) December 24, 2022

Michael Chiesa

My condolences go out to Stephan Bonnar’s family. His fight with Forrest Griffin changed the landscape of the sport of MMA and pushed it to the next level. He’s a big part of the reason we are here today. https://t.co/NtGaVAN96M

— Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) December 24, 2022

Mike Bohn

Tragic news on Christmas Eve. Stephan Bonnar was a critical player in helping elevate the UFC into the the global powerhouse it is today. Let’s never short change him of that contribution. R.I.P. ❤️ https://t.co/WZc26SdtI1

— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohn) December 24, 2022

Kyle Nelson

The first time I ever heard of mixed martial arts was when I was 14 and saw the first ultimate fighter. That started the dream that led me to where I am today. The finale between Stephan and Forrest saved the UFC from going under. R.I.P pic.twitter.com/vtR9wkmxCF

— Kyle The Monster Nelson (@THE__MONSTER) December 24, 2022

Megan Anderson

Stephan Bonnar vs Forrest Griffin was the first mma fight I ever watched, and it completely changed my life.

It is so incredibly heartbreaking to hear the news of Stephan’s passing. Another one gone too soon. My thoughts are with his family during this time 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/1wa2oz1s6H

— Megan Anderson (@MeganAnderson) December 24, 2022

John McCarthy

Very sad to hear about the passing of @StephanBonnar His fight with @ForrestGriffin helped jumpstart the @ufc into the mega promotion you see today. RIP Stephan. Your time here was way too short

— Big John McCarthy (@JohnMcCarthyMMA) December 24, 2022

Ben Rothwell

Ohhhh man 😢

— Big Ben Rothwell (@RothwellFighter) December 24, 2022