Earlier this week we reported that Stephan Bonnar was packing up and heading back to SPIKE TV under the Bellator MMA banner.

Now we have a statement from the UFC boss, explaining why he allowed his contracted Hall-Of-Fame fighter to jump the promotional ship, and it’s all about his longtime nemesis in Tito Ortiz.

Via White’s media scrum (Replay HERE):

“I released him to do it. He was still under contract with us. We released him to do it and I wish him the best. He was retired. What he told me is that he wants to beat the shit out of Tito, and I’m always down for that, so I released him.”