UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar Dead At 45

BYCole BlakePublished on December 24, 20224.0K Views

NEW YORK - MARCH 25: UFC fighter Stephan Bonnar and Dana White attend the New York premiere of "UFC Undisputed 2010" at M2 Ultra Lounge on March 25, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/WireImage)

Stephan Bonnar has passed away at the age of 45.

UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar has passed away at the age of 45. Bonnar reportedly died of presumed heart complications while at work. UFC president Dana White confirmed his death in a statement on Saturday.

"Stephan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters to ever compete in the Octagon," White told UFC.com after his passing. "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."

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 06: (L-R) Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar pose for photos with their UFC Hall of Fame plaques during the UFC Fan Expo Las Vegas 2013 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on July 6, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Al Powers/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Bonnar made a name for himself during the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. He took on Forrest Griffin in the final fight. It is widely considered one of the most important bouts in the sport's history. Both fighters were inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2013.

“The UFC family is saddened by the passing of UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar. We send our sincerest condolences to his family and friends," a post from the UFC's social media accounts reads.

All-in-all, Bonnar competed in mixed martial arts for 13 years from 2001-14. He finished his career 15-9 in 24 bouts. During his career, he fought numerous future and former UFC champions, including Griffin, Tito Ortiz, Anderson Silva, Rashad Evans, Jon Jones, Lyoto Machida, and Mark Coleman.

Outside of fighting, Bonnar has also worked as an MMA analyst for both ESPN and Fox Sports. Additionally, he made multiple appearances with Impact Wrestling in 2019.

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About The Author

Cole Blake

Cole Blake is currently an Editor at HotNewHipHop based out of Brooklyn, New York. He began working at the site as an intern back in 2018 while studying journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s graduated with a bachelor's degree and written extensively about a wide range of topics including pop culture, film & television, politics, video games, sports, and much more. He’s also covered music festivals such as Gov. Ball and Rolling Loud. You can find him publishing work for HNHH from Monday to Wednesday or on weekends. On the sports front, Cole’s a passionate NBA and NFL fan with his favorite teams being the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Lakers. He also roots for the Yankees whenever he finds himself at Yankee Stadium or the Red Storm when in the company of other SJU alumni. His favorite hip-hop artists are billy woods, Earl Sweatshirt, Cam’ron, MIKE, and Mach-Hommy.