UFC Hall of Famer
Stephan
Bonnar’s death late last year was a result of an accidental
fetanyl overdose.
The Clark County (Nev.) coroner’s office informed
announced Bonnar’s passing in a statement, adding that the
cause of death was “presumed heart complications while at
work.”
Bonnar is perhaps best known was his time on “The Ultimate Fighter
1,” where he reached the finals of the reality show and received a
UFC contract after losing a unanimous decision to
Forrest
Griffin in a memorable clash on April 9, 2005. That bout was
later enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame’s “Fight Wing.”
That led to a seven-year career with the Las Vegas-based promotion
that saw “The American Psycho” compile an 8-7 mark in the Octagon.
He earned wins over the likes of
Keith
Jardine,
James Irvin
and
Krzysztof
Soszynski and also squared off against noteworthy foes such as
Anderson
Silva,
Jon Jones,
Mark
Coleman and
Rashad
Evans.
Bonnar initially announced his retirement following a loss to
Anderson
Silva at UFC 153 in October 2012, but he made a brief return to
MMA two years later, falling to
Tito Ortiz via
split decision at Bellator 131 on Nov. 15, 2014.