Stephan Bonnar died of a heart complication while at work on December 22, 2022.
This was revealed by the UFC said in a statement shared on Twitter on Saturday, December 24, 2022. Bonnar was 45.
“The UFC family is saddened by the tragic passing of UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar Thursday from presumed heart complications while at work”.
“Stephan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters to ever compete in the octagon,” UFC President Dana White in a statement. “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,” UFC wrote.
“The UFC family sends its sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Stephan Bonnar”, the statement said.
The American professional wrestler and professional mixed martial artist Bonnar competed 26 times as a professional, with 15 UFC appearances and one for Bellator.
He made his professional debut in 2001, with his UFC debut eight fights later on. Bonnar entered the UFC at 7-1, and although he lost the fight to Griffin, he won his next three.
He subsequently won over Mark Nickals and Eric Schaefer. Bonnar then entered a three-fight skid with defeats to Jon Jones, Marc Coleman, and Krzysztof Soszynski. He won a rematch against Soszynski before defeating Igor Pokrajac and Kyle Kingsbury.
A loss to Anderson Silva in a makeshift UFC 153 main event was his final bout for the promotion.
On October 30, 2012, UFC president Dana White announced that Bonnar has retired from MMA competition.
Following his retirement, he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame on July 6, 2013.
Bonnar reentered competition to fight Tito Ortiz in Bellator in 2014 and lost by a split decision.
In 2019, he competed for Impact Wrestling following a two-year build on the independent pro wrestling circuit. In 2020, Bonnar briefly reentered the MMA circuit as a cornerman for fellow TUF 1 contestant Diego Sanchez.
Bonnar had more difficulties outside the cage when his house burned down in April 2022.
He finished his career with a 15-9 win-loss record.
Stephan Bonnar is survived by his wife Andrea Brown and son, Griffin Brandon.