UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar, who rose to prominence on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, has died, the organization announced Saturday. He was 45.
In a statement announcing the news, the UFC disclosed Bonnar died from “presumed heart complications while at work.” There are no further details regarding the specific cause of death at this time.
“Stephan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters to ever compete in the Octagon,” UFC president Dana White said. “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.”
A native of Hammond, Ind., Bonnar emerged on the UFC scene in 2005 as a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter. The dynamic jiu-jitsu specialist advanced to the finals of the competition, where he lost in a classic bout against Forrest Griffin by unanimous decision. Despite the loss, Bonnar still was awarded a contract for his performance. He ultimately was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July 2013 along with Griffin, who retired in 2012, for the bout.
The first finale of The Ultimate Fighter helped launch the UFC into the mainstream, as Bonnar would establish a formidable persona as “The American Psycho” over the course of his nine-year UFC career. In addition to Griffin, Bonnar fought a host of former and future champs, including Rashad Evans, Jon Jones and Anderson Silva.
Bonnar retired from the UFC in 2012 before returning from retirement in Nov. ’14 to join Bellator for a fight against Tito Ortiz at Bellator 131. Bonnar would retire from MMA for a second time following a split decision, and spent the next several years providing color commentary for World Extreme Cagefighting and working as an MMA analyst for ESPN and Fox Sports. He also embarked on a career in professional wrestling, a run that began in 2017 and lasted until his death.
In his 24 career MMA matches, Bonnar earned a total of 15 victories–three by knockout, seven by submission and three by decision–and nine losses.
