Bonnar (photo via UFC)

By FCF Staff

One of the initial driving forces behind the success of “The Ultimate Fighter” and the subsequent growth of MMA in North America, 35 year-old-veteran Stephan Bonnar, has retired from MMA.

After UFC President Dana White reportedly revealed the news Tuesday via a MetroPCS chat session, Bonnar posted on his Twitter and Facebook accounts:

Huge thanks to every UFC fan out there! All I ever wanted was to bring ya’ll some fun…hope u were entertained. Peace, love, & violence! #ufc

The charismatic fighter’s announcement comes just days removed from the first round, stoppage loss he suffered versus Anderson Silva at UFC 153. Heading into the bout, which arose after the card was hit with injuries, “The American Psycho” had relayed that he was considering retirement until the fight with Silva materialized.

Prior to facing Silva, Bonnar (15-8) had scored consecutive wins over Krzysztof Soszynski, Igor Pokrajac, and Kyle Kingsbury.

During his career, the Carlson Gracie Jiu Jitsu black belt faced notable competitors like Jon Jones, Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida and of course, Forrest Griffin.

The first encounter between Griffin and Bonnar, which took place in the TUF 1 Finale in 2005, became an instant classic, and the memorable brawl is credited by many for helping MMA become a mainstream sport.

Although Bonnar lost the bout by unanimous decision, he was also awarded a six fight contract with the promotion.

Bonnar has also commentated on various WEC cards and UFC programs in recent years.