Stephan Bonnar, a UFC Hall of Famer, died at the age of 45

Stephan Bonnar, a UFC Hall of Famer, died at the age of 45

Stephan Bonnar, a legend in the UFC, passed away on December 22 at age 45. They say he died at work due to cardiac problems. Griffin Brandon, Bonnar’s kid with wife Andrea Brown, is alive and well.

UFC President Dana White said on December 24 that 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.”

They initially saw Bonnar on the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2005 and have been fans ever since. His fight with Griffin in the first season finale was widely hailed as a classic bout and was instrumental in making UFC a household name.

Bonnar had previously admitted, “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 recognise me, even in obscure places… It was wild.”

Bonnar, who finished his career with a 15-9 record, competed against several notable boxers, including James Irvin, Keith Jardine, Krzysztof Soszynski, Igor Pokrajac, Jon Jones, Rashad Evans, Mark Coleman, Anderson Silva, and Tito Ortiz, among many more.

A year after his final bout in the UFC, in 2013, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

After Bonnar’s death, commentator Mike Goldberg tweeted,  “If you knew @StephanBonnar it was impossible not to love him, a loyal friend with a great sense of humour who once took over an entire floor of our hotel in Australia preparing his own kangaroo meal! RIP American Psycho, gone way too young!”