Dana White reveals more details about UFC's 'Celebration of Life' tribute to the late Stephan Bonnar
In a video posted to his Twitter and Instagram, Dana White revealed more details about the UFC's 'Celebration of Life' tribute to the late Stephan Bonnar. Bonnar was one of the most influential fighters in UFC history.
Bonnar lived a tragic life post his MMA career. In his final years, he was allegedly battling alcohol and opioid addiction. On December 22, 2022, 'The American Psycho' died of heart complications while at work, according to a report issued by the UFC.
In honor of the late great MMA fighter, the UFC is organizing an event called 'Celebration of Life' as a tribute. Here's what Dana White posted about the event:
"What's up, everybody? So, this Sunday, we're having a celebration of life for Stephan Bonnar. A lot of the cast from season one of 'The Ultimate Fighter' is going to be there. Stephan's family [and] friends [are going to be there]. A lot of our employees, media, etc., everybody [are going to be there]. Fans - we gave away like 500 tickets to fans, first-come-first-serve."
Join for our celebration of life for Stephan Bonnar Sunday at 2pmET streaming live and free on UFC.com, YouTube and UFC Fight Pass 🙏 https://t.co/WYweKkJ6QB
For those who didn't get tickets, Dana White said the following:
"So, for those [of] you who couldn't make it [and] would like to see it, we will be live streaming on ufc.com, YouTube and UFC Fight Pass - all free. And, it's at two 'o clock on the East Coast. So, join us to celebrate the life of Stephan Bonnar."
Stephan Bonnar's 'The Ultimate Fighter' (TUF) season 1 finale bout with Forrest Griffin is one of the most influential fights in UFC history. The show and finale featuring Griffin vs. Bonnar in the main event drove mainstream viewership of MMA in the US.
Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar CHANGED the sport at the first TUF Finale! 🤯 https://t.co/Z8YWGH66Sg
"Stephan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters to ever compete in the octagon": Dana White
Stephan Bonnar burst onto the scene on the introductory season of TUF way back in 2005. On the show, Bonnar had a hilarious moment with TUF 1 middleweight winner Diego Sanchez where they argued about asparagus.
Skip to 3:21 for Bonnar and Sanchez's hilarious interaction:
Bonnar beat Bobby Southworth and Mike Swick to gain a spot in the season finale against Forrest Griffin. Although Bonnar lost a unanimous decision in the finale, the bout was so exciting that Dana White decided to award Bonnar a UFC contract despite losing.
While Bonnar never became a champion, he had notable wins over names like Keith Jardine and Eric Schafer. He only lost to top-rung fighters in his career, such as Forrest Griffin (twice), Rashad Evans, Jon Jones, Mark Coleman, Anderson Silva, and Tito Ortiz.
'The American Psycho' compiled a promotional record of 8-8 and an overall MMA record of 15-9. After his passing, Dana White made the following statement:
"Stephan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters to ever compete in the octagon. 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 president Dana White reacts to Stephan Bonnar's death and labels the TUF 1 finalist as "one of the most important fighters to ever compete in the octagon."
Full story: bit.ly/RIPBonnar https://t.co/76oQPVo0Yg