Stephan Bonnar is coming out of retirement as he has signed a multi-fight deal with Bellator to compete in the light heavyweight division
The signing was announced by Bellator on Wednesday.
“Stephan is a guy that has been a huge part of this sport and we are excited have him part of the roster,” Bellator President Scott Coker said. “He was one half of probably the greatest and one of the most important fights in MMA history, and it happened on Spike. When you look at our Light Heavyweight division, with names like Rampage, Tito, King Mo, Emanuel Newton and others, there are a lot of fights Stephan can be involved in. Big fights against big names. After talking to Stephan, I know that’s what he wants, and we want to provide that to our fans.”
Bonnar (15-8) retired in 2012 following a defeat to former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva at UFC 153. The defeat snapped a three fight winning streak and he did test positive for a banned substance following the event. In a statement released from Bonnar told via a press release, he made it clear who he wants to face in Bellator.
“I want everyone to know I’m coming out of retirement because it’s time to free the MMA world of the virus that’s known as Tito Ortiz,” Bonnar said. “We’ve been suffering through his boring fights for too many years, and it’s about time that someone beats it out of him once and for all.”
“The American Psycho” is scheduled to make his Bellator later this year on Spike TV.