Stephan Bonnar hanging up his gloves for good

Light heavyweight Stephan Bonnar has never been the fastest, strongest, or most technically proficient fighter on the UFC’s roster but he has unquestionably been one of the most entertaining in the company’s history. Bonnar’s battles in the Octagon are legendary, including his culture-changing clash with Forrest Griffin at the Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale, while his charisma constantly comes through outside of the cage.

Unfortunately, it looks like the 35-year old Bonnar has entertained fans for the last time after a ten-year run in the ring.

UFC President Dana White was asked about the fan-favorite’s future in an online chat yesterday, replying, “Bonnar will be retiring now.”

Bonnar confirmed the matter earlier today on his Facebook page, writing, “Huge thanks to every UFC fan out there! All I ever wanted was to bring ya’ll some fun…hope u were entertained. Peace, love, & violence!”

Though disappointing, the decision is certainly not a major surprise, as Bonnar hinted at the possibility leading up to his October outing against Anderson Silva, stating he was essentially retired already when he received the call to fight.

Assuming he is indeed walking away from MMA on a permanent basis, Bonnar leaves the sport with a 15-8 record including ten stoppages and notable wins over Krzysztof Soszynski and Keith Jardine.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2012/10/31/stephan-bonnar-hanging-up-his-gloves-for-good/

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