Leading into UFC 153, I was in Stephan Bonnar’s corner. I say this while fully realizing that Bonnar is not the greatest fighter in the history of the sport; he’s not even close. If we had a true mixed martial arts hall of fame, one that isn’t de…
I say this while fully realizing that Bonnar is not the greatest fighter in the history of the sport; he’s not even close. If we had a true mixed martial arts hall of fame, one that isn’t dependent on or slanted toward a single promotion, Bonnar would be nowhere near consideration.
Perhaps, he should be considered for the UFC Hall of Fame, because he’s meant a lot to that company and they tend to reward people who have made significant contributions to their bottom line. But we all know that’s not a true hall of fame. It doesn’t reward fighters for careers filled with greatness; it rewards those who helped the UFC out the most. And that’s fine. As the old saying goes, it is what it is.
Today’s news that Bonnar failed his post-fight drug test after losing to Anderson Silva in Brazil was disheartening. I wanted to buy into the notion that Bonnar, a guy who never reached the heights attained by his partner in crime Forrest Griffin, was giving it all for one last shot at glory.
Sure, he faced incredible odds, and few people in the world believed he had a chance. But, he was “stepping up” for the UFC. He was showing all of those young, rich fighters how to truly play the game the way that old-school guys like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell and Mark Coleman did. He was going for it, even though he faced certain doom.
And in the end, he lost. But that’s not the sad part; we knew that was coming. The sad part is that Bonnar felt the need to cheat to help him prepare for the fight.
Bonnar failed for Drostanolone, an anabolic steroid utilized mostly for cutting weight. It inhibits the retention of water, making the weight-cutting process easier. And in hindsight, we should have seen it coming; Bonnar was absolutely gigantic during fight week in Brazil. We’ve seen Bonnar display a good physique before, but nothing like this. And he flaunted it, assuming traditional bodybuilding poses during open workouts, all the while knowing that there was a pretty good chance he was going to fail his drug test in just a few days.
I realize that Bonnar was probably incredibly heavy when he got the call to face Silva. He was semi-retired, after all, and hadn’t stayed in fighting shape or even something resembling it. Perhaps, he felt he needed the steroid to get down to fighting weight. And maybe, just maybe, he figured it was his last fight, anyway, so he threw caution to the wind and took Drostanolone. Who cares if he fails the drug test, if he’s retiring immediately afterward?
It was a dumb decision. Bonnar may not have a legacy as an all-time great fighter, but he had something. He was crucial to helping push the UFC ever onward, and it was very likely that he’d slide directly from the cage into an analyst position with Fox Sports. And perhaps he’ll still be afforded that opportunity. He’s likeable enough on camera and speaks well, and he has an entire career’s worth of experience to draw from. The UFC and Fox need those kinds of people.
But Bonnar’s decision to cheat—and at the end of the day, his actions were cheating, no matter how you slice it—will tarnish his legacy. Instead of being known as Stephan Bonnar, company man, exciting fighter, he’ll be known as the guy who failed two drug tests for steroids. And those two drug failures will make people look more closely at his fighting record in the cage, when they might have been more apt to overlook it had he not failed a drug test in the final fight of his career.
Maybe, it doesn’t matter at all to Bonnar. Maybe, he can live his life in peace in Las Vegas and contribute when needed to Fox UFC broadcasts. And maybe, he’s OK with people remembering him more for failing two drug tests than for putting on one of the greatest fights in the history of the sport.
But he shouldn’t be OK with it. And neither should you.
As first reported by MMAJunkie, Stephan Bonnar and Dave Herman both tested positive for banned substances in their UFC 153 post-fight drug screenings. With no athletic commission in place in Brazil, the UFC independently tested all 24 fighters who competed at the October 13th card at Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena — and unfortunately nailed a pair of repeat offenders.
Bonnar, who announced his retirement from MMA earlier this week, tested positive for the anabolic steroid Drostanolone following his TKO loss to Anderson Silva in UFC 153’s main event. It is the second steroid bust for Bonnar, who was suspended for nine months after popping positive for Boldenone in 2006. Now that Bonnar is retired from the sport, a suspension won’t be much of a punishment, though it certainly puts a black mark on the end of a crowd-pleasing career inside the Octagon. (Conspiracy theory time: Bonnar knew he’d be retiring after the Silva fight, and he simply didn’t give a fuck.)
As for the one they call Pee Wee…
(…but damn, did he look good doing it.)
As first reported by MMAJunkie, Stephan Bonnar and Dave Herman both tested positive for banned substances in their UFC 153 post-fight drug screenings. With no athletic commission in place in Brazil, the UFC independently tested all 24 fighters who competed at the October 13th card at Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena — and unfortunately nailed a pair of repeat offenders.
Bonnar, who announced his retirement from MMA earlier this week, tested positive for the anabolic steroid Drostanolone following his TKO loss to Anderson Silva in UFC 153′s main event. It is the second steroid bust for Bonnar, who was suspended for nine months after popping positive for Boldenone in 2006. Now that Bonnar is retired from the sport, a suspension won’t be much of a punishment, though it certainly puts a black mark on the end of a crowd-pleasing career inside the Octagon. (Conspiracy theory time: Bonnar knew he’d be retiring after the Silva fight, and he simply didn’t give a fuck.)
As for the one they call Pee Wee…
Dave Herman was flagged for marijuana metabolites following his loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Last year, Herman was pulled from a scheduled bout with Mike Russow due to a positive test result for marijuana. Herman denied using the sweet leaf at the time, but in light of this second positive test, it’s probably safe to assume that he’s a pothead. And since the loss to Big Nog was Herman’s third straight in the promotion, he was probably heading out the door anyway.
UFC exec Marc Ratner said that punishments for the fighters will be issued sometime next week.
For several years, Stephan Bonnar has been striving to be known as more than “the guy who lost to Forrest Griffin” on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter.Unfortunately, he may now be remembered as nothing more than a cheater.As MMA Junkie con…
For several years, Stephan Bonnar has been striving to be known as more than “the guy who lost to Forrest Griffin” on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter.
Unfortunately, he may now be remembered as nothing more than a cheater.
As MMA Junkie confirmed today, Bonnar failed his drug test for UFC 153, where he fought Anderson Silva in a light heavyweight to save the Rio de Janeiro card.
That’s twice that Bonnar has tested positive for anabolic steroids, this time getting tagged for use of Drostanolone—a substance used for bodybuilding and artificially cutting cholesterol levels.
When it happened the first time after a unanimous decision loss to Griffin at UFC 62, Bonnar made no argument, apologizing and serving his nine-month suspension without complaint. Over time, he built up good will by (supposedly) staying clean and settling into his position as high-level gatekeeper.
But this time, the timing is far worse.
Bonnar was on the verge of walking away from the Octagon with the glory of being the UFC’s ultimate loyal employee, willing to put his last effort into a fight where he was a historical underdog. It wasn’t smart, but it was recognized as a selfless act from a man with nothing to lose.
As it turns out, Bonnar can still lose his hard-earned reputation.
Not only does this throw a dark cloud over Bonnar’s last fight, but this second positive drug test also throws many of Bonnar’s previous wins into question. What really fueled Bonnar’s bottomless cardio and iron chin?
Did he really beat Kyle Kingsbury, Igor Pokrajac and Krzysztof Soszynski on his own steam?
Or, is it more likely that Bonnar had a little help from banned substances in all those bouts?
Either way, it obviously didn’t help him against Silva. Bonnar was effectively outclassed by the world’s greatest MMA fighter, who has ironically fought two men in a row that have failed drug tests.
(Chael Sonnen was suspended after UFC 117 when his urine sample showed an illegally high testosterone/epitestosterone ratio of 16.9:1—the average male ratio is 1:1.)
That’s a pretty damning outcome for Bonnar, who simply wants to be remembered for something more than being a perennial Hall of Fame loser. As a fan of the original TUF 1 Finale, it’s suddenly hard to look at him any other way.
[McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist and FightFans Radio writer. His work has appeared in GamePro, Macworld and PC World. Talk with him on Twitter.]
Two UFC 153 main card fighters have tested positive for banned substances. MMAJunkie.com broke the news that Stephan Bonnar and Dave Herman failed their post-fight drug tests. Bonnar tested positive for Drostanolone, an anabolic steroid used …
Two UFC 153 main card fighters have tested positive for banned substances.
Bonnar tested positive for Drostanolone, an anabolic steroid used mainly in the “cutting cycles.” Herman tested positive for marijuana metabolites.
Bonnar came out of retirement to face Anderson Silva in the main event of UFC 153. It was a favor to the promotion that made him a star and the kind of fight he had been begging Joe Silva to make. By most accounts, it was the biggest fight of his career and put him back in the public eye.
This is the second time in his UFC career that he has tested positive for a steroid. The first time was after the second Forrest Griffin fight when he tested positive for Boldenone.
This is also the second offense for Dave Herman. He tested positive for marijuana metabolites prior to his scheduled bout at UFC 136. That positive test forced him from the card.
Bonnar announced earlier this week that he will be retiring once more from MMA. After this positive test, one would expect this retirement to be permanent.
Without question, this positive test tarnishes his legacy. Even with the first positive test, I still believed that Bonnar had a place in the UFC Hall of Fame because of his first fight with Griffin. This test all but ensures that he won’t get into the Hall.
As for Herman? This is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. He’s 1-3 in the UFC and the headache just doesn’t seem to be worth it.
Let’s turn our imaginations on for a moment and picture the scenario.You are a professional mixed martial artist. You have made a career out of trading punches, knees, kicks, and elbows with other human beings in contests to discover who has more skill…
Let’s turn our imaginations on for a moment and picture the scenario.
You are a professional mixed martial artist. You have made a career out of trading punches, knees, kicks, and elbows with other human beings in contests to discover who has more skill, determination and heart.
Where others find validation inside an office or on a work site, you define yourself on preparation and execution in combat. There is no time clock at the gym but you embrace the fact that after six weeks of putting your body and mind through hell, you have everything you need to step into the cage and give it your all. It is a process that has been repeated countless times and becomes just another sacrifice to ensure you make that walk.
When fight night finally arrives, you attempt to find calm head space while “Stitch” Duran wraps your hands and gives you the talk. It’s a place you’ve been plenty of times before, but this time it is different. There is more hanging in the balance than ever before and the urgency only adds to the nerves. After warming up backstage it is time to make your way to the cage and once the door closes behind you, everything you have spent years attempting to perfect is put to the test.
The lights are bright, fans are screaming, and the person standing across the cage is moments away from unleashing his worst intentions upon you. This is the life you’ve chosen and nothing has ever made more sense than it does once the referee steps aside.
Whether the action lasted one minute or 15, this time was different. It was your last fight and the rest of your life has arrived as the arena lights go out. Walking away from the sport can’t be an easy choice, and often times many other factors affect the decision.
Earlier this week UFC president Dana White announced the official retirement of Stephan Bonnar. For more than a decade “The American Psycho” gave MMA fans a reason to get excited any time his name was on the card. The Indiana native experienced varying degrees of success and failure inside the cage, but his contribution as a catalyst to the UFC’s boom is difficult to dispute. While his curtain-call performance against Anderson Silva didn’t have a Hollywood ending, Bonnar‘s decision to walk away from the sport brings to light an interesting aspect to examine. It is a place every fighter will eventually stand but the method of arrival is rarely the same.
You are only as good as your last fight…well sort of
The topic header may be an infamous MMA cliche but holds a fair amount of truth in the realm of fan perspective. What happens during that final performance is often the memory that remains. Eventually enough time will pass where, depending on the amount of success obtained, fans will begin to revise the peaks and valleys of a fighter’s career.
There may be no better example of a fighter leaving on a high note than Chris Lytle. The “fight night” bonus machine’s career spanned 12 years, 49 professional fights, and small but successful stints in the world of boxing. Going into his bout with Dan Hardy in August of 2011, Lytle made the decision his throwdown with “The Outlaw” would be his last. Due to the styles both men brought to the cage, it was sure to be a fan friendly affair, and the two men did not disappoint.
After two full rounds of exchanging leather and Lytle being rocked on two occasions, “Lights Out” performed a fight-ending guillotine in the final frame. His performance against Hardy was a perfect display of the the level of grit and determination Lytle had spent a career showcasing. In addition to the victory he also walked away winning “Fight of the Night” and “Submission of the Night” bonuses. While he never held a title in the UFC, Lytle capped an impressive career with a storybook ending.
On the flip side of that coin is Chuck Liddell. Where the UFC had stars in the pre-Zuffa era, “The Iceman” became the first superstar of a new generation. With his signature mohawk and brick-heavy hands, Liddell dropped bodies to the canvas at every turn. He became a sensation for his ability to separate his opponents from their consciousness and for a large part of the past decade, he held the torch for the light heavyweight division.
But as great as Liddell may have been in that run, once things took a turn the wrong way, the momentum was too much to stop. After losing his title to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in 2007, the Hall of Fame fighter went on to drop three of his next four outings.
In the midst of the backslide he showed flashes of his maestro of violence abilities by defeating Wanderlei Silva in a “Fight of the Year” performance, but getting knocked out in brutal fashion over his next three fights was enough to have close friend Dana White make the call for Liddell‘s retirement.
While the end of his career wasn’t anywhere near ideal for Liddell, the success he experienced in winning world titles and successfully defending his throne were enough to make him a legend.
Tough news prompts a new direction
Where fighters like Liddell and Lytle are heralded, there are far more who come to the retirement crossroads without ever reaching the upper-levels of the sport. These decisions are often based on a series of losses or setbacks, both inside and outside of the cage, which ultimately dictate a change of direction.
Following his loss to Jacob Volkmann at UFC on FX 5 in October, Shane Roller announced he was retiring from MMA. The three-time All-American wrestler from Oklahoma State University had dropped four of his past five bouts inside the Octagon.
With a release from the UFC looming in the near future, Roller decided to take it upon himself to retire. He made the announcement public through his Twitter account stating it was time to begin the next chapter of his life.
The former NCAA Division I standout found success inside the WEC but failed to gain footing inside the Octagon. Prior to his UFC debut Roller had notable wins over Danny Castillo, Anthony Njokuani, and former champion Jamie Varner. His only two losses during his him time in the blue cage came against champions Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis.
He made a solid statement with a “Knockout of the Night” against ThiagoTavares in his first UFC showing. Following the victory over Tavares, Rolller dropped three straight and was never able to build momentum.
Jason “Mayhem” Miller had a similar experience during his time in the UFC. While there is no doubt Miller holds a higher profile in the sport of mixed martial arts, his highly anticipated return to the UFC fell short of delivering the fireworks most expected.
The “Bully Beatdown” host was among a small group fighters who were able to build their name outside of the UFC. Where others had been able to raise their stock fighting in the Pride organization, Miller skipped around the sport for the majority of his career.
When the news hit Miller was signing with the sport’s biggest promotion, things finally appeared to be settling down for the veteran. But his stint in the UFC would only last a year as “Mayhem” came out on the business end of fights with Michael Bisping and C.B. Dollaway. After his loss to “The Doberman” at UFC 146 in May, White announced Miller had been released from the organization.
The retirement dance
The history of mainstream sports is filled with athletes who have retired, un-retired and retired again. In fact, it is such a common situation in the world of sports, fans now look at retirement announcements as being a temporary situation. Most believe it will only be a matter of time before their favorite athlete returns. This sets a skewed expectation and the world of MMA is no different.
The announcement to walk away is one thing, but the ability to stay away is another. Hall of Fame fighter Randy Couture and future Hall of Famer B.J. Penn have both jumped back and forth over the retirement line during their storied careers.
“The Natural” announced his retirement in 2006 only to return a year later and win the UFC heavyweight title. Later that year he resigned from the UFC due to a contract dispute but ultimately returned for another successful run to finish his career.
During the final stages of his time in MMA, “Captain America” was able to build a successful base in the world of acting, and this has provided a life outside of fighting for the former two-divisional champion.
Following his loss to Nick Diaz at UFC 137, Penn announced he was retiring from MMA. A short while after telling Joe Rogan he was done with the sport, “The Prodigy” made a post on his website stating his retirement wasn’t official, but a hiatus certainly was.
Penn’s time away didn’t last long as he accepted a fight with rising welterweight star Rory MacDonald earlier this year. The matchup was originally slated for UFC 152 in September but a cut suffered by MacDonald pushed the bout back. It has since been rescheduled for UFC on Fox 5 on Dec. 8 in Seattle.
The skipping back and forth between fighting and retirement creates a strange anticipation in MMA fans, and the two best examples of the retirement phenomenon in mixed martial arts are FedorEmelianenko and Brock Lesnar. “The Last Emperor” will go down as one of the greatest heavyweight fighters of all time while Lesnar became a UFC champion and a pay-per-view juggernaut in the process. Their accomplishments inside the cage can’t be compared, but the loyalty of their fanbases are unmatched.
Each man retired from the sport for different reasons, but have moved on to different aspects of their lives. This doesn’t stop MMA fans from not only wanting, but anticipating their return, and this keeps the weight to their name value thriving. Any time there is mention of Fedor or Brock, or even better Fedor vs. Brock, a passionate fanbase comes alive with vigor.
While Fedor and Brock are unlikely to return to action, other stars jump in and out of the retirement ship. Most recently the talk has been fixed on Hall of Famer Matt Hughes and his impending retirement. The welterweight legend told Ariel Helwani during a stop by “The MMA Hour” that while he is not retired yet, it looks like that is where he is heading.
It has been over a year since he last appeared inside the Octagon and the 39-year-old has found peace outside of the cage spending time with his family. This doesn’t mean there isn’t an interesting fight somewhere out in the MMA universe for Hughes, but at the same time, he doesn’t appear to have an issue with his great career coming to a close.
Time for the next step
It has been several weeks since the decision was made to bring your career to an end. Now you look around in an effort to find the things you connected with before you journeyed down the path to a fighting career.
For some, the options are plenty. A successful career in mixed martial arts has allowed you to branch off into other forms of entertainment and business. For others those particular possibilities don’t exist. It is onto the next adventure in their lives and when it is all said done, fighting may be nothing more than an afterthought.
Once the lights go out for the final time and the thing which defined you for years is gone, it is a difficult thing to stay away from. There will always be a lure to return (money, fans, competition) but whether the pull of the mind matches the ability of the body is a different story.
It is a place every fighter must come to, and the decision to cross that line is one every fighter has to make on his own.
(Bonnar has clearly yet to inform the little guy of the rules regarding small joint manipulation in MMA, but we’ll give him a pass for now.)
I don’t mean to get all transcendent on you Taters, but to me, life is little more than a cyclical series of events; with death comes birth, with loss comes acquisition, and so on. And before you ask, yes, I take all of my philosophical life lessons from The Lion King. So it only makes sense that just a day after we bid farewell to one of MMA’s greatest ambassadors in Stephan Bonnar — professionally at least — we should welcome Stephan’s newborn son into the world.
Stephan released this photo on his Twitter account yesterday, along with the caption: “Just wanted to welcome in my MINI ME to this world…right in time to wish ya’ll a Happy Holloween!”
(Bonnar has clearly yet to inform the little guy of the rules regarding small joint manipulation in MMA, but we’ll give him a pass for now.)
I don’t mean to get all transcendent on you Taters, but to me, life is little more than a cyclical series of events; with death comes birth, with loss comes acquisition, and so on. And before you ask, yes, I take all of my philosophical life lessons from The Lion King. So it only makes sense that just a day after we bid farewell to one of MMA’s greatest ambassadors in Stephan Bonnar — professionally at least — we should welcome Stephan’s newborn son into the world.
Stephan released this photo on his Twitter account yesterday, along with the caption: “Just wanted to welcome in my MINI ME to this world…right in time to wish ya’ll a Happy Holloween!”
Leading into UFC 153, I was in Stephan Bonnar‘s corner. 
