UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar died at 45 from “presumed heart complications.”
The news was shared over the Christmas weekend by UFC President Dana White.
“The UFC family is saddened by the tragic passing of UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar Thursday from presumed heart complications while at work,” the UFC said in a statement.
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Bonnar made his UFC debut in 2005 during season one of The Ultimate Fighter, which saw him distinguish himself with a finale fight against Forrest Griffin.
“Stephan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters to ever compete in the Octagon,” White said of Bonnar’s UFC legacy. “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.”
Stephan Bonnar vs. Forrest Griffin is without a doubt, the most important fight in UFC history.
This is the moment when Dana & Lorenzo decides to give Bonnar the 6-figure UFC contract even though he lost the fight. @brucebuffer’s reaction says it all.
Rest in peace 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/09Boq7dIyW
— EK (@EdwardsKim) December 25, 2022
Bonnar had called his fight with Griffin and the resulting UFC contract “a little lesson [that showed] if you never quit, you really can’t fail. That was the perfect example of that. Give it everything you’ve got, and something good will come out of it.”
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The Hall of Famer ended his career in 2013 with a 17-9 record, winning other notable fights against James Irvin, Keith Jardine, Krzysztof Soszynski, Igor Pokrajac, and Kyle Kingsbury.
