UFC legend Stephan Bonnar died on Thursday at the age of 45.
Bonnar, who was a UFC Hall of Fame inductee, was at work when he died. The UFC said in a story published on Saturday that Bonnar is presumed to have died from heart complications.
“Stephan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters to ever compete in the Octagon,” UFC President Dana White said 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.”
Bonnar had his first professional MMA fight in 2001. He went 7-1 as a pro before catching his first big break in MMA.
Bonnar appeared on the first season of the reality TV show “The Ultimate Fighter.” He lost to Forrest Griffin via unanimous decision on the finale of the show in what many viewed as one of the best MMA fights ever.
Both Bonnar and Griffin were awarded UFC contracts after putting on a legendary show. Their performance, and the success of the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” led to the show being renewed by Spike TV.
The performance helped launch the careers of Griffin and Bonnar, and the fight is viewed by many as one of the turning points for the UFC.
“It was kind of a little lesson,” Bonnar said of his fight with Griffin. “If you never quit, you really can’t fail. That was the perfect example of that. Give it everything you’ve got and something good will come out of it.”
The two men were inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame together in 2013 following Griffin’s retirement.
Bonnar signed with Bellator to end his MMA career, and he later went into wrestling.
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