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Former champions, TUF vets, commentators and other MMA fighters reacted to Stephan Bonnar’s death.

Stephan Bonnar passed away a couple of days before Christmas, with The Ultimate Fighter pioneer and UFC Hall of Famer being just 45-years-old.

One half of what was credited to be the fight that saved the UFC, Bonnar clearly made an impact with so many in the industry. His passing took the MMA community by surprise, and personalities and fighters from different eras took to social media to mourn the loss.

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Roxanne Modafferi tackles your questions, Happy Warrior style, in her latest ‘Dear Roxy’ column for Bloody Elbow.

It’s time again for another batch of questions for Roxanne Modafferi and her Dear Roxy column, where the ‘Happy Warrior’ goes toe-to-toe-with readers’ inquiries about fighting, training, and life in general.

Last time, we tackled questions about trash talk, gave a few thoughts about bushido spirit and the martial arts, and about what it’s like trying to maintain healthy relationships with the wide varieties of personalities in MMA camps.

This week, we’ll be looking at the long age old debate over adding more weight classes to MMA. We’re also talking nicknames and how to get ‘em. And we’ve got a few thoughts about the UFC’s latest hit talent scouting platform, Dana White’s Contender Series.

Dear Roxy,

What are your thoughts on creating a weight class in between ones where there is more than a 10 lbs difference? Like a 160-165 lbs class to get between light and welterweights? — deadguydrew

Dear deadguydrew,

For lower-weight fighters, every pound is more significant, since their total mass is less. It’s way harder for a strawweight 115lb fighter to lose one pound than a 205-pounder. Therefore, weight classes go up by ten pounds from straw, bantam, feather, and light-weight. Somebody decided that welterweight was a good time to start making bigger jumps of 15 pounds, which happens for a few weight classes, until it jumps by 20 pounds from middle to light-heavy. It’s unfortunate for those guys who feel small in the welterweight division but struggle to make weight for welter. They would love that middle weight-class, I’m sure. I felt stuck between bantam and fly for a number of years so I understand the struggle. I think the argument someone made was that it would thin the divisions if the UFC did that, but I see nothing wrong with that. It’d be a pain in the neck to remake all the divisions, I’m sure.

Dear Roxy,

How does a fighter’s nickname come about? I believe it’s not the fighters choice, but whose then? The fans? How does the whole process work? — huntexlo

Dear Huntexlo,

So all fighters want cool nicknames when they start fighting. I remember trying to think of a good nickname for myself when I first started out. I was on the train home in Japan with my coach and teammate who cornered me. I came up with dumb stuff like “The Tiger.” (Actually I can’t remember at all, but it was not great.)

The best nicknames are always ALWAYS given to a fighter by somebody—either their coach, fans, teammates, etc. It’s based on fighting style, quirk, how it rhymes with their name, or likeness to something else. Most fighters like their nicknames. Some don’t. My teammate Jeslen Michelle (PFL) said she wanted her nickname to be “Big J” but her previous coach called her “The Wrecking Ball.” Despite not loving it, she decided to stick with it. There’s always a cool “naming” story for fighters. Mike “Quicksand” Pyle is called that because his jiujitsu is so good, everyone feels like they’re sinking and can’t get back up.

I was there when Emily “Spitfire” Whitmire got her nickname on TUF 26! She doesn’t hold back her words, or in the cage. I was given my nickname by a fan on Myspace in the comments. I hope they know how thankful I am for giving it to me!

Hello Roxy!

As a pro fighter, how do you feel about things like Dana White’s Contender Series? Do you think that’s a good way to bring new talent into the mix with the vets?

It seems like Dana signs a ton of fighters who maybe get in the mix, and while it looks good for new talent exposure, it also feels a bit predatory and “throwaway” at times. Do you have any insight from the inside as a veteran that us spectators maybe don’t see? — From Reivers

Photo by Chris Unger/DWCS LLC/Zuffa LLC

Dear Reivers,

I’m not sure what you mean by predatory and “throwaway.” I think it’s an incredible opportunity for fighters to be seen and have a chance to join the UFC. I have multiple teammates who got into the UFC via the Contenders series, and I’m so thrilled for them. Natan Levy, Jordan “The Monkey King” Leavitt, and Jonny “Sluggernaut” Parsons are a few. It’s way easier than TUF, and cheaper for the UFC, I’m sure. Some people don’t want to watch a whole season and learn about people’s lives. They just want to see fun fights. I think it’s wonderful, and probably better than spectators think. It’s nearly impossible to get noticed by the UFC otherwise. Along those lines, I’m sure it’s very difficult to get a spot on Contenders, as well. I think it’s good there are several venues for fighters to get noticed.

If you’d like to submit your own questions for ‘Dear Roxy’ feel free to email me at [email protected], with the subject line “Dear Roxy”, or reach out on twitter @RoxyFighter with the hashtag #DearRoxy. Or simply leave your questions in a comment below on Bloody Elbow. Look forward to hearing from you all soon.

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The former TUF 1 finalist was a fan favorite for years for his performances inside the Octagon, but had suffered with severe health complications in recent years.

When Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar faced off in the finale of the first season of the Ultimate Fighter, history was made. The UFC had been in difficult financial straights for years following the purchase of the promotion by Las Vegas casino magnates, Lorenzo & Frank Fertitta. A bid for the suddenly booming market of reality TV was something of a desperate play. A hope to market MMA to a new audience outside the scope of pre-existing combat sports fans.

A wild war between two charismatic sluggers willing to throw all caution to the wind was more than the UFC ever could have hoped for. Fans got hooked, ratings were strong, the Ultimate fighter became a cornerstone of the UFC’s business model with 30 seasons currently in the books.

“There has never been a more important fight in the history of the UFC,” UFC president Dana White said when Griffin & Bonnar were inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame together back in 2013. “There has never been a more important fight… in the history of mixed martial arts.”

Griffin went on to become a UFC champion. Bonnar never reached that height, regularly trading wins and losses over his seven-year UFC run, but all throughout he stayed a fan-favorite for his willingness to compete with seeming reckless abandon for his own safety. Following a single bout in Bellator the ‘American Psycho’ retired from MMA competition for good in 2014 with a 15-9 record.

After his exit from the world of mixed martial arts, Bonnar worked on the independent wrestling circuit, with an appearance with Impact Wrestling in 2019. His wrestling career was notably hampered by injury in the fall of 2021, when Bonnar apparently suffered a broken back at a wrestling show.

Difficulties followed again in 2022, when Bonnar and his wife lost their Las Vegas home due to fire. A fundraiser raised over $ 10,000 for the couple, including a $ 4,000 donation from former UFC champion Tyron Woodley.

In a statement released on their website, the UFC announced that Bonnar had passed away on December 22nd. MMA Fighting has since confirmed the news. While an exact cause of death has yet to be given, initial reports state that he likely died from “presumed heart complications while at work.”

“Stephan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters to ever compete in the Octagon,” said UFC President Dana White. “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.”

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The main event for UFC Vegas 69 on February 18, 2023 will be Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen.

The UFC has put together a doozie of a headliner for UFC Vegas 69 on February 18, 2023 in the form of top ranked bantamweights Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen.

“Chito” Vera is coming into this fight as the UFC’s #4 ranked 135-pounder, and Sandhagen is listed at #5, so consequences are extra high for this main event matchup. Obviously every fight is must-win, but the victor of this one will likely be within arm’s reach of a title shot.

This is much more true for Chito than it is for Cory. Marlon is riding a spectacular four-fight winning wave, including posterizing two legends of the sport in Frankie Edgar and Dominick Cruz with spectacular head kick knockouts. Sandhagen has only won once in his last three outings, even though many fans believe that he actually should have gotten the decision win over T.J. Dillashaw.

On top of that, Vera has yet to face the current champ, Aljamain Sterling, where as Sandhagen was technically submitted by Aljo in under 90-seconds. Oh, let’s not forget that Vera also has a win that aged quite well over the UFC’s #1 ranked bantamweight, Sean O’Malley.

Now all of that isn’t to say that Sandhagen couldn’t get a title shot off of an impressive performance at UFC Vegas 69, because he could — it’s just a much lower percentage for him versus Vera. Cory’s showing would have to be something that would qualify him to skip over the UFC’s #3 ranked, Merab Dvalishvili, the #2 ranked, Petr Yan (who he already lost to), of course the aforementioned O’Malley, and possibly even the wild card that is Henry Cejudo.

Either way, the stakes are damn high in this main event, and both Cory and Marlon are notorious scrappers that can violently end a fight at a moment’s notice. I don’t want to jinx it or anything, but it seems impossible for this fight to be boring.

Check out the rest of the UFC Vegas 69 lineup:

Main card:

Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen: Bantamweight

Jim Miller vs. Gabriel Benitez: Lightweight

William Knight vs. Marcin Prachnio: Light Heavyweight

Taila Santos vs. Erin Blanchfield: (W) Flyweight

Prelims:

Nazim Sadykhov vs. Evan Elder: Lightweight

Joe Solecki vs. Benoit Saint-Denis: Lightweight

Juancamilo Ronderos vs. Clayton Carpenter: Flyweight

Gerald Meerschaert vs. Abus Magomedov: Middleweight

Lina Lansberg vs. Mayra Bueno Silva: (W) Bantamweight

Ovince St. Preux vs. Philipe Lins: Light Heavyweight

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The UFC Hall of Famer wants O’Malley to think twice before potentially risking his ‘guaranteed’ title shot. 

Daniel Cormier has some advice for Sean O’Malley regarding his first UFC championship opportunity.

Following his split decision win against Petr Yan at UFC 280 this past October, O’Malley became the No. 1 contender in the bantamweight division. For his next fight, the ‘Sugar Show’ said he was ‘guaranteed’ a title shot, which would be against the winner of Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo.

However, the UFC has yet to announce Sterling vs. Cejudo as official, leaving O’Malley in limbo. Because he has no idea when his title shot would come, the Contender Series alum thought about accepting another fight and staying active.

“I’m in a tricky position,” said O’Malley on the Believe You Me podcast. “I always knew I’d be in this position where you’re at the top of the division. It doesn’t really make sense to fight. I’m guaranteed a title shot. Obviously, ‘Aljo’ and Henry still have to be announced. I’m kind of in that position to where I’m like, ‘Do I be smart like I’ve done my entire career and just wait for those two dorks to fight, or do I risk it and go fight someone else?’ Which wouldn’t be the intelligent thing to do, but it’s like you only get so many years to fight, and I don’t really like sitting around too much. But I’m leaning towards waiting for Aljo and Henry to fight and just wait for that.”

Should O’Malley lean the other way, Cormier would want him to avoid a fight with Merab Dvalishvili.

“There’s only one name that I would steer clear of if I’m Sean O’Malley, and that’s Merab Dvalishvili,” said Cormier on his official YouTube channel. “Because I believe that Merab and his pressure fighting style could present some matchup problems for O’Malley. Am I saying no, he can’t win? Not at all. But I’m saying because of the wrestling, the pressure, you don’t want to be stuck in there with Merab. The dude’s a savage.”

As frustrated as O’Malley is with Sterling vs. Cejudo not being announced, Cormier cautions him from doing something that could risk his title shot. And accepting a fight against Dvalishvili would do exactly that.

“I get being frustrated. But, Sean O’Malley, do not allow for the frustration to lead to bad decisions,” said Cormier. “I think the fight with Merab, when on the verge of a title fight, could be a bad decision. Yeah, he can win. Absolutely. I think the kid is as good as anyone. No one could have told me that this kid from the Contender Series would become this. It’s been great to see, and I don’t know when Sean will fight for the title, but I do know that when he does, it’ll be a massive moment for the UFC. Because this is a kid that went from unknown and unheralded to potential UFC champion. Hats off to the ‘Sugar Show.’”

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Another heavyweight matchup has joined UFC Vegas 68 in February. 

A pair of ranked heavyweights are joining the line-up of UFC Vegas 68.

John Morgan of The Underground reports that Marcin Tybura and Blagoy Ivanov have agreed to share the Octagon at the upcoming UFC Fight Night. Tybura vs. Ivanov was previously scheduled for UFC 260, but the Bulgarian fighter was forced to withdraw because of an injury.

Tybura returned to the win column in his most recent appearance at UFC 278, where he defeated Alexandr Romanov by majority decision in August. Prior to that, ’Tybura’ saw a five-fight win streak snapped by Alexander Volkov, whom he lost to by unanimous decision at UFC 267 last October.

Following a two-year layoff, Ivanov earned a unanimous decision over Marcos Rogério de Lima at UFC 274 in May. ‘Baga’ was previously on a career-worst, two-fight skid, which included split decision losses to Derrick Lewis and Augusto Sakai.

Tybura and Ivanov are ranked No. 10 and No. 15 in the division, respectively.

Originally planned to be in South Korea, UFC Vegas 68 is now scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023 at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas. It is headlined by a heavyweight fight between Derrick Lewis and Serghei Spivac. The current line-up is as follows:

• Ji Yeon Kim vs. Mandy Böhm
• Devin Clark vs. Da-Un Jung
• Adam Fugitt vs. Yusaku Kinoshita
• Tatsuro Taira vs. Jesús Santos Aguilar
• Doo Ho Choi vs. Kyle Nelson
• Jun Yong Park vs. Denis Tiuliulin
• Derrick Lewis vs. Serghei Spivac
• Marcin Tybura vs. Blagoy Ivanov

Stay tuned to Bloody Elbow for more updates to UFC Vegas 68 as they become available in the coming months.

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“He’s looking a lot better, training again. I think we’re going to see Nick back.”

Jake Shields says Nick Diaz is looking a lot better than he did in 2021 and that he expects the former Strikeforce welterweight champion and MMA fan favorite to return to the UFC next year, teasing a potential comeback during an interview with Inside Fighting (h/t MMA Fighting).

“I think so,” Shields said when asked about Diaz fighting in 2023. “He’s looking a lot better, training again. I think we’re going to see Nick back.”

Shield’s comments come after Diaz told reporters earlier this week that he was looking to make a comeback next year against former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, saying “you can see me back on top in 2023, I’m making a comeback. I’m going to be quicker than ever, stronger than ever, better than ever—I’m just gonna be a whole new me. Whoever is on top at the time [I want]—preferably Israel Adesanya, if he gets his title back.”

Shields, a longtime teammate of Diaz, added that Nick ‘looks far better’ than he did prior to his TKO loss to Robbie Lawler at UFC 266, which was the last time he fought in the Octagon.

“Nick now looks far better than he did when he fought Robbie,” Skrap Pack member Shields wrote on Twitter.

Despite being inactive for a number of years, Diaz (26-10, 2 NC) remains a highly popular and influential figure in MMA, generating buzz whenever he makes the headlines. He has recorded notable victories over the likes of B.J. Penn, Frank Shamrock, and Lawler, and has won titles in Strikeforce, WEC, and IFC.

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Ali Kadyrov defeated Islam Akbarov on the preliminary portion of the ACA 150 event. 

With UFC star Khamzat Chimaev in his corner, Ali Kadyrov—son of Chechnya’s dictator Ramzan Kadyrov—earned his first professional mixed martial arts victory at Friday’s ACA 150 show.

The 15-year-old defeated fellow debutant Islam Akbarov by TKO in the opening round of what was obviously a fixed fight.

The two fighters sparred in the cage for a couple of minutes before Kadyrov landed a jab that knocked Akbarov to the ground. Kadyrov then landed a series of soft strikes that appeared to do little damage to his opponent. Nonetheless, the referee had apparently seen enough and awarded Kadyrov a TKO stoppage victory with a little more than two minutes remaining in the round.

In preparation for the bout, Kadyrov trained with the likes of former UFC champ Cody Garbrandt and members of Sweden’s Allstar team, including Chimaev, who shared a training montage of the teenager to promote the fight on Instagram.

Chimaev, a Chechen-born Swedish resident, has also routinely been pictured alongside Kadyrov and his sons, and has been known to train with them during trips to Chechnya. In October, the UFC standout posted pictures of his sparring session with the teenagers and also attended UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi alongside them.

In the immediate aftermath of the fight, Chimaev entered the cage and embraced Ali before raising the teenager’s hand in victory. Shortly thereafter, the UFC standout congratulated the teenager on Instagram, adding that he “demonstrated excellent fighting skills and will to win.”

Kadyrov also celebrated his son’s victory by sharing a picture of him on Instagram along with his wartime slogan “Akhmat Power.”

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Winn was expected to fight at UFC Vegas 66, but fell down a flight of stairs and suffered a concussion. 

The UFC has released Deron Winn from its roster.

UFC Roster Watch on Twitter was first to report the release, which was then confirmed by Damon Martin of MMA Fighting.

“Being released after a freak accident on their property the week before Christmas,” wrote Winn on Twitter in response to his release. “Man, ‘it’s business not personal’ has never been more real.”

The UFC middleweight was scheduled to fight Julian Marquez at UFC Vegas 66 this past Saturday. However, Winn fainted at the UFC Performance Institute and sustained a mild concussion, which led to his removal from the Fight Night.

In his first post-cancelation comments, Winn expressed interest in rescheduling his fight against Marquez, but that is no longer an option after his release.

“I am devastated,” wrote Winn. “I have put so much work in these last couple months. I hope to rebook soon. Sorry to my opponent and sorry to all have invested into me this camp. I’m heartbroken. Love all.”

Winn joined the UFC in 2019 and debuted against Eric Spicely at UFC on ESPN+ 12, where he earned a unanimous decision in their ‘Fight of the Night’ awarded outing. The American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) product went on to lose his next two fights to Darren Stewart and Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Boston and UFC 248, respectively.

He returned to the win column with a unanimous decision over Antônio Arroyo, but failed to maintain his momentum and suffered a second-round TKO loss to Phil Hawes. Winn underwent surgery on a broken orbital after his loss to Hawes and was expected to return to the Octagon before the ‘freak accident’.

Winn went 2-3 in his UFC tenure.

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Jared Cannonier has offered his services to Robert Whittaker.

Jared Cannonier has offered to rematch Robert Whittaker at UFC 284, saying that he would love to fight ‘The Reaper’ in Australia. The matchup would mark a rematch of their first bout at UFC 254, which Whittaker won via unanimous decision.

Cannonier would be stepping in as a replacement for Paulo Costa, who declined to fight at UFC 284 due to an ongoing contract dispute with the UFC. Whittaker has since been removed from the event, but Cannonier thinks he could persuade the UFC to reshuffle the card and book a rematch.

“Hell yeah [if they offer the rematch I’d accept], I’ve never been to Australia before,” Cannonier told Ariel Helwani during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour (h/t Josh Evanhoff). “I’d love to go there and fight Robert again and hopefully get the job done then. No, [they haven’t reached out about the fight].”

“Yeah, I don’t get [taking Whittaker] off the card either,” he added. “So, I don’t know, maybe Robert wants to take time off, maybe it’s Robert’s decision. Maybe he wants to take more time off then, wants to enjoy the holidays… Absolutely [if they called, I would be interested].”

Cannonier is coming off of back-to-back victories over Kelvin Gastelum and Derek Brunson, as well as a split decision win against Sean Strickland at UFC Vegas 66. A victory over Whittaker could potentially propel him to the No. 1 spot in the middleweight rankings, possibly setting up a rematch with Israel Adesanya.

UFC 284 is set to take place on Feb. 12 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

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