Tragic news struck the MMA world on Christmas Eve as it was announced that UFC legend Stephan Bonnar has passed away.

The UFC announced the news on their official Twitter page with the following post:

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

“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.”

Bonnar, a UFC Hall of Famer, was just 45 years old. The cause of death has not been revealed at this time.

Stephan Bonnar was instrumental in the UFC becoming a mainstream commodity. His epic battle against Forrest Griffin in the TUF 1 Finale was a main ingredient in the promotion becoming a household name.

“Stephan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters to ever compete in the Octagon,” stated UFC President Dana White in a release announcing Bonnar’s death. “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 (15-9 MMA) scored victories over notable names such as Keith Jardine, Krzysztof Soszynski, James Irvin and Kyle Kingsbury during his UFC career.

‘The American Psycho’ retired from mixed martial arts in 2014, following a split decision loss to Tito Ortiz at Bellator 131.

Bonnar went on to try his hand at professional wrestling, even teaming up with fellow former UFC fighter Phil Baroni for a brief period of time.

The staff at BJPenn.com sends our deepest condolences to the friends and family of Stephan Bonnar.