The UFC is now the largest mixed martial arts promotion in the world. The welfare of the organization is not threatened. But it was by no means always so. In 2005, the promotion under the leadership of Dana White was on the verge of bankruptcy.

But the duel of two absolute no-names, who quit their jobs for the sake of the dream of becoming MMA fighters, helped save the UFC. Unfortunately, one participant in this event, Stefan Bonnar, suddenly died.

The American Psycho’s heart stopped.

Hard Times UFC

2005 was a defining year for mixed martial arts. It is not known what path MMA would have taken if the UFC had not been able to stay afloat. The promotion then could not boast of record revenues. The owners had multi-million dollar debts. The organization tried to move to federal channels, and for this a special product was developed: a reality show with little-known fighters, later called The Ultimate Fighter. As conceived by the authors of the project, the participants had to determine the best in the tournament. At stake were a contract in the organization and valuable material prizes.

None of the major TV channels were interested in this product. The UFC found support only from the not-too-popular Spike TV. At the same time, the channel’s management refused to take on the costs of filming the show. As a result, the promotion had to shoulder additional expenses.

If the show had failed, then the UFC could have gone bankrupt, which would have changed the course of history forever.

Stephan Bonnar / Photo: © Jon P. Kopaloff / Contributor / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

bloody cut

The final fights were shown live. Great hopes were pinned on the duel between Ken Shamrock and Rich Franklin, but this evening an incredible spectacle was presented by fighters from whom this was absolutely not expected.

In the light heavyweight final, former police officer Forrest Griffin and former sports doctor Stefan Bonnar met. For both athletes, mixed martial arts before participating in the show was just a hobby. But they left their jobs for the dream of becoming professional UFC fighters.

They got to the final without any problems, where one of them was supposed to receive the coveted contract. From the very first seconds, it became clear that none of them was going to give up their dream voluntarily. Athletes exchanged hard blows for three rounds, not sparing each other.

As a result, by the end of the fight, the entire canvas of the “cell” was stained with blood, and the fighters could hardly stand on their feet. The outcome of the confrontation was decided by the judges. All of them deservedly gave the victory to Griffin with the same score of 29-28. Exhausted and frustrated, Bonnard literally collapsed on the floor facing forward and could not get up for a long time.

The spectacle arranged by the fighters gathered a huge audience. White rejoiced like a child, knowing full well that this confrontation would save the UFC. Dana climbed into the octagon and in good spirits announced that Bonnar would also receive a contract with the organization.

April 2005. Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar / Photo: © Josh Hedges / Contributor / UFC / Gettyimages.com

“We will miss Stefan”

In a few years, White would have many flattering words about this fight, admitting that he saved the UFC and changed mixed martial arts forever. Many experts and the media recognized this fight as the best in 2005. The legendary confrontation allowed both fighters to be in the hall of fame of the promotion.

Bonnar had many bright fights, receiving the sonorous nickname American Psycho. The fighter met with many strong opponents. Unfortunately, he did not manage to get to the championship title. At 35, he hung up his gloves, and two years later he returned to MMA, signing a contract with Bellator. However, the only battle ended in defeat.

On December 22, the fighter turned 45 years old, and on the eve of Bonnard’s wife said that the athlete suddenly died. According to preliminary data, Stefan’s heart could not stand it.

Stephan Bonnar / Photo: © Zuffa LLC / Contributor / UFC / Gettyimages.com

With an emotional speech, the head of the UFC, Dana White, honored the memory of the deceased athlete, noting Stefan’s significant contribution to the development of the promotion.

Stefan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters for us. His fight with Forrest Griffin changed the sport forever. The fans loved Stefan, he always gave his best for them. We will miss Stefan,” said the head of the UFC.

Bonnar did not become a star of the first magnitude in MMA. The fighter did not win high-profile titles. But Stefan really changed the sport and greatly contributed to the growth of the popularity of mixed martial arts. And for that we can only thank him.