Thomas Siniecki, Media365: published on Sunday, December 25, 2022 at 3:56 p.m.
In the United States and even all over the world, MMA fans know the role and place of Stephan Bonnar in the pantheon of their young discipline. The circumstances of his death on Thursday remain unclear at this time.
MMA would certainly not be what it has become without Stephan Bonnar, one of its pioneers. Died this week at the age of 45 due to heart problems (without further details), he was notably returned to legend thanks to his 2005 fight against Forrest Griffin, who became the first to enter the Fighting Hall of Fame in 2013.
“I became a celebrity overnight”
Dana White, the big boss of the UFC, pays tribute to him due to his rank: “This confrontation changed the sport forever, he was one of our great fighters and the fans loved him, they identified with him. He always gave his best. We will miss him, we will never forget him.” Retired in 2014, he wrestled on an ad hoc basis in 2019 but had above all become a renowned consultant in the United States for his specialty of MMA. Himself entered the Hall of Fame, obviously, the Indiana native mainly played the role of the outsider, or “underdog” as the Americans prefer to say.
About this famous Las Vegas fight, he revealed that he had already felt during the action that it was a good fight: “When everyone started tapping their feet, it hit me. It’s as if the whole room was shaking. It was in the second round, I thought it must be good. I never thought I would have a career in the UFC. It was just a little hobby, it changed everything. I became some kind of overnight celebrity. Everyone recognized me everywhere, even in dark places, even when I was jogging in a small town. It was crazy.” For lovers of MMA and combat sports at large, that will never change.
