UFC 153’s main event put Stephan Bonnar‘s heart on full display as he stepped up to fight quite possibly the greatest fighter that ever lived on two weeks’ notice with his pregnant wife ready to deliver their baby at any time.
Unfortunately, Bonnnar wasn’t able to pull off what would have been the greatest upset in MMA history and fell victim to Anderson Silva by first round TKO. Most of the post-fight talk was about what was next for Silva, but I wonder what is next for “The American Psycho”?
Bonnar is, in my opinion, still a big name and would still be a great test to many of the top up-and-comers in the light heavyweight division.
He’s big, strong and very dangerous inside the Octagon, which makes Bonnar a threat to everyone in the division. Fighting Stephan Bonnar would be a major fight for up-and-comers such as Ryan Jimmo or Jimi Manuwa. The only question is would he allow himself to be a division steppingstone?
Bonnar has gone on record in the past stating he’d only fight guys with “more Twitter followers than me” and also saying that he is semi-retired, except for fights against big names. If this is the case, then you really have to wonder if UFC 153 was the last time we’ll see Bonnar in the Octagon. The only logical “big” fights I can think of is maybe against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson or Forrest Griffin.
Bonnar was very interested in coaching The Ultimate Fighter against Griffin as the two could relive their glory days when they became instant starts in the sport, but Dana White quickly shot that down.
Looking at The Ultimate Fighter’s numbers this year, two exciting and well-known coaches would likely be great for the show, and even if White didn’t want Bonnar and Griffin to fight once again, the coaching pair would likely be enough to draw a larger audience for TUF.
Even if this is it for Stephan Bonnar and he calls it a career, he goes out with a bang. How many guys would step up to face a man who hasn’t lost in nearly seven years? Bonnar will always be a legend in this sport, and if his career is over, nobody can say it wasn’t one of the most exciting careers in UFC history.
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