BREAKING: Fans stunned as UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar passes away suddenly aged 46

MMA and octagon fans are in total shock at the passing of UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar at the age of 45.

As announced by the UFC on Saturday, December 24, Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar passed away on December 22 at the age of 45.

MMA Fighting also received confirmation of the octagon legend’s death via a  law enforcement source with knowledge of the situation. They revealed that the source wished to remain anonymous due to the fact they were not authorised to comment on the case.

According to the UFC, no official cause of death has been confirmed as yet, although it did mention ‘presumed heart complications’.

The UFC family is saddened by the passing of UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar. We send our sincerest condolences to his family and friends.

— UFC (@ufc) December 24, 2022

Dana White, the UFC President, wrote: “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”.

Bonnar recently suffered the loss of his home in Las Vegas last April after a fire in which they ‘lost everything’, as announced by his wife Andrea Brown on Facebook.  Tyron Woodley played a large role in a subsequent fundraiser that raised in excess of $10,000. As a result, the retired fighter moved into a new home.

He courted controversy in September 2021 after posting video footage on Instagram that showed Bonnar involved in a heated confrontation at a hospital. Speaking with MMA Fighting after the incident, the former pro wrestler explained that because of his stance on the coronavirus, he had been denied care by doctors at the facility.

At that time he had been attempting to get treatment for a severe injury sustained during his grappling career. A potentially life-threatening staph infection was later discovered by doctors at another medical facility he told the same news outlet at a later date. Treatment of this condition involved a lengthy period of recovery and the use of intravenous antibiotics, as reported by mmafighting.com.

Absolutely gutted to hear about the death of Stephan Bonnar.

This man will forever be one of the most important fighters in MMA history.

His fight against Forrest Griffin caused an explosion of popularity for MMA and took the sport to new heights.

We'll always remember him ❤️ pic.twitter.com/60DjDKcTFm

— MMA History Today (@MMAHistoryToday) December 24, 2022

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