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Sunday, May 26, 2013

UFC To Induct Forrest Griffin, Stephan Bonnar Into Hall of Fame

Forrest Griffin

By Michael Hatamoto

The UFC will introduce Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar into the Hall of Fame later this summer, according to UFC President Dana White.

“They’re going in together. Those two are going to be together for the rest of their lives,” White said during the UFC 160 post-fight press conference.

Expect both fighters to be honored during the UFC Fan Expo during UFC 162 fight week in July.

Both Griffin and Bonnar met in an epic clash as finalists of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 1, with Griffin winning by 29-28 unanimous decision. The fight was the 2005 Fight of the Year and helped MMA break into the mainstream, with both fighters battering one another throughout the fight.

Griffin went on to eventually capture the light heavyweight championship from Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 86, and then lost the title at UFC 92 to Rashad Evans. Meanwhile, Bonnar was never able to compete for the championship, and failed post-fight drug tests twice in his career. Unfortunately, injuries took a toll on both fighters, so retirements and inductions seem to make sense.

I think Griffin has to be in the Hall of Fame, and even though Bonnar has had a spotty record for PED use throughout his UFC career, he needs to be applauded for his past exploits.

Here are the current UFC Hall of Fame members: Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, Randy Couture, Mark Coleman, Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes, and Tito Ortiz. Each fighter is in there for making a major impact on the UFC and MMA in general, so it makes sense that White wants Griffin and Bonnar added.

posted by FCF Staff @ 10:00 pm
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