Stephan Bonnar death

Stephan Bonnar, UFC Hall of Famer best known for his bout against Forrest Griffin on season one of "The Ultimate Fighter," died Thursday at age 45.

I was jogging and someone in a pickup was going ‘Hey Bonnar.’ And everywhere you go, someone knows who you are. Bonnar is considered a pioneer for the UFC, as he made a name for himself on the first season of "The Ultimate Fighter." I was traveling with Tapout and we were in a small town. It was just a little hobby I was doing, so it changed everything. I was like ‘oooh, this must be good.’" "His fight with Forrest Griffin changed the sport forever, and he will never be forgotten.

“Stephan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters to ever compete in the Octagon,” UFC President Dana White said in a statement. “His fight with Forrest ...

Bonnar was a native of Indiana where he started wrestling at the age of 10. At the age of 24, he started boxing. And that was in the second round. It was his bout against Forrest Griffin that had fans glued to television screens which is regarded as one of the best fights of all time. “His fight with Forrest Griffin changed the sport forever, and he will never be forgotten. We send our sincerest condolences to his family and friends,” the UFC announced on Instagram.

Bonnar died of presumed heart complications while at work, according to UFC, which announced his death. Both inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2013, Bonnar ...

Both inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2013, Bonnar and Forrest Griffin are credited for helping UFC -- and mixed martial arts as a whole -- gain mainstream notoriety following their fight on "The Ultimate Fighter" reality show. He also spent some time with Impact Wrestling in 2019. Bonnar fought multiple other fellow Hall of Famers, including Mark Coleman, Rashad Evans, Tito Ortiz and Anderson Silva.

Stephan Bonnar, who earned a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame as one half of one of the most legendary fights in promotion history, has died at 45.

Many fighters, promoters, fans, and loved ones flocked to social media Saturday to mourn the loss of a UFC pioneer. In April 2022, Bonnar had more struggles outside the cage when [his house burned down](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2022/04/mma-news-ufc-hall-of-famer-stephan-bonnar-lost-everything-in-house-fire). Bonnar parted ways with the promotion after a failed drug test and claimed retirement. Bonnar competed 26 times as a professional, with 15 UFC appearances and one for Bellator. "His fight with Forrest Griffin changed the sport forever, and he will never be forgotten. [the fight many credit with turning around a then-struggling UFC](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2020/04/forrest-griffin-vs-stephan-bonnar-ufc-tuf-finale-today-in-mma-history).