On Saturday afternoon, UFC shared the saddening news of the passing away of UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar. He was 45 years old and died on December 22nd, 2022, because of “presumed heart complications” when he was at work. Many call as one of the fighters that helped Dana White bring UFC mainstream.

Bonnar majorly competed in the lightweight division during his career as a mixed martial artist. UFC shared a post writing, “The passing of UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar saddens the UFC family. We send our sincerest condolences to his family and friends.”

Back in 2005, he was the runner-up on The Ultimate Fighter 1, his TUF Ultimate Finale. He lost the fight against Forrest Griffin, which is marked as one of the important fights in UFC history. He retired from UFC in 2012 after his loss against Anderson Silva.

In 2013, Dana White announced that Bonnar will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. However, he returned to MMA for a fight at Bellator to fight Tito Ortiz in 2014, which he lost via a split decision. He retired once again and joined professional wrestling as his later career.

Wrestling Universe reacts to the passing away of UFC legend Stephan Bonnar

After retiring for the second time from MMA, Bonnar entered the world of professional wrestling in 2017. Similar to his MMA career, he made a name on the independent scene. One of his memorable matches came against current WWE superstar Matt Riddle.

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Besides that, he was also a part of Impact Wrestling. He made his in-ring debut teaming with Moose to face King Mo and Bobby Lashley. Furthermore, he had a short feud with Ken Shamrock and a match with Moose in a losing effort.

Current Impact Wrestling star Josh Alexander shared his condolences.

WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam also shared a tweet for Bonnar.

Andrew Everett also wrote a message for the UFC Legend.

Former WWE Superstar Matt Morgan also shared a tweet.

Current WWE Superstar MVP shared a heartfelt message on Instagram.

The EVP of Impact Wrestling Scott D’Amore also penned a post.

Meanwhile, Impact Wrestling also paid their condolences through Twitter.

The above reactions show how much Bonnar meant in the world of MMA, especially in UFC.

Throwback Video: Jon Jones vs Stephen Bonnar Brings the Whole Crowd to Their Feet

Dana White pays his tributes to Bonnar

The president of UFC also shared his condolences in a statement of UFC covered by Daily Mail UK. He said, “Stephan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters to ever compete in the Octagon.”

Further, he recalled Bonnar’s fight with Griffin, calling it the most important one. Clearly, White’s statement shows how much he respected him and is saddened by the UFC legend’s loss.

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