AN MMA legend identified for preventing one of crucial rounds in UFC historical past has died of presumed heart complications.
Final Combating Championship Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar handed away on Thursday whereas at work, UFC confirmed. He was simply 45.
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“Stephan Bonnar was one of crucial fighters to ever compete within the Octagon,” mentioned UFC President Dana White in a statement.
“His struggle with Forrest Griffin modified the game without end, and he won’t ever be forgotten.
The followers cherished him, associated to him and he at all times gave them his greatest. He can be missed.”
Bonnar is most identified for starring within the very first season of The Final Fighter in 2005.
This system adopted sixteen fighters whereas they lived and educated in two separate groups that competed in numerous challenges.
Throughout the present, Bonnar confronted off towards Forrest Griffin in a legendary battle that revived the dying sport.
In keeping with UFC, the struggle could have saved the corporate after it launched cage preventing to a brand new technology of followers.
“I knew it was struggle through the struggle,” Bonnar beforehand mentioned.
“It hit me when everybody began stomping their toes and it felt like the entire place was shaking.”
Whereas Bonner completed as runner-up, he did win a fan following and a preventing profession he as soon as may solely dream of having.
“Every part modified,” he mentioned.
“I did not assume I might have a UFC profession. It was just a bit interest I used to be doing, so it modified all the things.”
He would go on to struggle a lot of memorable rounds within the subsequent seven years, defeating notable gamers like Keith Jardine, James Irvin, and Kyle Kingsbury.
Generally known as The American Psycho, the Indiana native additionally confronted off towards fellow Hall of Famers Rashad Evans, Anderson Silva, and Tito Ortiz earlier than ending his profession.
His tragic loss comes after he posted about “shedding all the things” to a home hearth earlier this yr.
Simply three days in the past, he promoted a struggle on Instagram in a now-heartbreaking post.
Bonnar retired from blended martial arts after struggling a first-round TKO defeat to Anderson Silva in 2012.
However he returned to the cage two years later at Bellator 131, the place he suffered a split-decision defeat to Tito Ortiz.
The American Psycho closed the ebook on his skilled MMA profession for a second and last time shortly after shedding to his fellow UFC nice.
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