Bonnar is an Ironheart Crown 205-pound champion, Total Fight Challenge light heavyweight champion and the 2002 and 2004 Chicago Golden Gloves super heavyweight champion. He carries a professional record of 9-3 in MMA and an amateur record of 3-0.
MMA CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Early in his MMA career Stephan submitted Brian Ebersole (Pictures) and Josh Kruger to win the 2001 Ironheart Crown 3 four-man tournament.
Stephan traveled down to the Amazon to face the then unknown Ryoto Machida (Pictures) at Jungle Fight 1. He was pounded, eventually losing the bout via TKO from a cut stoppage. Bonnar picked up three more before taping The Ultimate Fighter season one.
On the show Stephan beat Bobby Southworth (Pictures) by split decision in their elimination fight on TUF and submitted Mike Swick (Pictures) to advance to the final.
UFC EXPERIENCE: 3-2. Bonnar lost a unanimous decision to Forrest Griffin (Pictures) in the TUF 1 season finale but it was a bout that would make stars of both fighters.
On subsequent Ultimate Fight Night cards Bonnar would win a decision over Sam Hoger (Pictures), submit James Irvin (Pictures) and win a questionable decision over Keith Jardine (Pictures). In June at UFN 5 he faced Rashad Evans (Pictures) and lost a decision to the TUF 2 heavyweight contract winner.
WHAT HE BRINGS TO THE BOUT: Stephan has heart and indomitable spirit. Everyone saw the war with Griffin. He has good striking and knows the submission game so that makes a weakness hard to pinpoint and capitalize on.
GRIFFIN: 6’ 3”, 205 pounds, 27, Athens, Ga.
BACKGROUND: Forrest Griffin (Pictures) trains with Rory Singer, Adam Singer and Daniel Ancheta. He also spends time training in Las Vegas. He has a professional record of 12-3 and was 6-0 as an amateur.
MMA CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Griffin began fighting in 2001 and won two four-man tournaments in the Submission Fighting Open and another four-man tourney in the Gauntlet Trials promotions in Georgia, where he beat UFC veteran Kevin Jordan (Pictures).
He fought twice more in ’01, finishing the year 7-1. Forrest suffered his first MMA loss in his pro debut to UFC triple-crown winner Dan Severn (Pictures). Though Severn won a decision it was clear Griffin was for real.
He continued to rack up wins in smaller shows and won his next great challenge at the World Extreme Cagefighting 1 show against UFC veteran and Abu Dhabi champ Jeff Monson (Pictures). He picked up a win in his King of the Cage debut and then choked out Ebenezer Fontes Braga (Pictures) in the Brazil-based HEAT Fighting Championships.
Forrest was slated to face Bobby Hoffman (Pictures) in a KOTC four-man tournament and to fight Tom Sauer (Pictures) at the Cagefighter Championships, but as is the nature of the sport opponents change, injuries happen, and fights never take place.
At the IFC Global Domination tournament, Griffin beat Team Quest fighter Chael Sonnen (Pictures) and advanced to face Miletich Fighting Systems’ Jeremy Horn (Pictures). Horn knocked Griffin out with a kick, but it did nothing to deter the former police officer from pursuing MMA.
He returned to the HEAT promotion to knockout Brazilian Edson Paredao despite suffering a broken arm. Griffin’s stint on The Ultimate Fighter was next. During the course of the show he tapped both Alex Schoenauer (Pictures) and Sam Hoger (Pictures) with strikes.
UFC EXPERIENCE: 3-1. Griffin’s bout with Bonner for the contract is considered one of the most exciting in recent UFC history, and his performance earned him the light heavyweight contract.
He made his pay-per-view debut at UFC 53, defeating Canadian Bill Mahood (Pictures) by rear-naked choke. He then took out Australian Elvis Sinosic (Pictures) with strikes at UFC 55.
Forrest’s next fight saw him lose a very close decision to “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (Pictures). He was in trouble early but Griffin came back and seemingly turned the fight around in the third round. However, the judges saw something different and awarded the former light heavyweight champion a split decision.
WHAT HE BRINGS TO THE BOUT: Griffin is a character. He has all the skills to be champion and the swagger and attitude to stay on top. He is good at everything without being fantastic at anything.
MY PICK: Griffin. It is easy to see who has come further since their last meeting just by the fight cards they’ve been selected to compete on. Bonnar had an excellent submission win over Irvin but that has been the extent of the excitement in the UFC. He has done enough to win three bouts since the loss to Griffin but he has not done it in convincing fashion, with three of his four post-Griffin UFC bouts going the distance.
And these were not bell-to-bell action wars like he had with Forrest. Meanwhile Griffin has stopped two of his last three opponents and took it to Tito. This is a huge test for Stephan. It is a barometer of where the two have come since the show. I think Griffin handles Bonnar this time and stops him with strikes in a much different looking fight than the first meeting.