Stephan Bonnar, the light heavyweight whose memorable battle with Forrest Griffin not only landed him in the Hall of Fame but may have also saved the UFC from bankruptcy, died Thursday at 45, the UFC reported.
Bonnar and Griffin engaged in one of the great fights in the promotion's history on April 9, 2005, in the light heavyweight finale of Season 1 of The Ultimate Fighter at the Cox Pavilion on the UNLV campus in Las Vegas. The UFC was tens of millions on dollars in debt at the time and then-owner Lorenzo Fertitta had instructed president Dana White to seek a buyer.
According to a report on UFC.com, Bonnar died of complications from a presumed heart issue while at work. White told UFC.com that Bonnar is among the most significant fighters in UFC history Bonnar was not only an aggressive striker who held a black belt in jiu-jitsu, but he was a witty public speaker who was gold with a microphone in his face.
Bonnar only lost once in his pre-UFC days, dropping a bout at Jungle Fight 1 to Lyoto Machida. Soszynski is the only non-UFC champion who ever defeated Bonnar.
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