EX-UFC standout Bonnar facing felony DUI charge
Former UFC star Stephan Bonnar was arrested on a DUI after he was restrained by citizens on Sunday.
According to the Nevada Highway Patrol, the 41-year-old Las Vegan was driving recklessly on southbound Interstate 15 when numerous callers reported he was traveling at speeds of more than 90 mph and making unsafe lane changes around 1:15 p.m.
When troopers arrived on the scene, motorists had surrounded his stopped red Cadillac CTS about 10 miles north of the resort corridor near mile marker 58. Bonnar allegedly was incoherent until a trooper tried to apply handcuffs, which prompted Bonnar to awaken and resist the arrest.
The citizens helped the officer restrain Bonnar, who was booked for a felony for his third DUI as well as traffic offenses and a misdemeanor resisting arrest charge.
Bonnar is best known for a 2005 fight against Forrest Griffin on the Season 1 finale of “The Ultimate Fighter” that is widely credited with helping the UFC break through in the mainstream. The bout was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2013.
He went 8-7 in the UFC and competed in the organization until 2012, when he tested positive for steroids a second time after a loss to Anderson Silva. Bonnar competed for the final time in a 2014 split-decision loss to Tito Ortiz on a Bellator MMA card.
He also has dabbled in professional wrestling.
Bonnar was taken to the Clark County Detention Center, where he was listed in custody as of Monday afternoon. He is scheduled for a Nov. 26 court date and is being held on $22,000 bond.
Done deal
Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson couldn’t be happier to be part of the organization’s first high-profile “trade.”
In fact, he was a major part of pushing the deal forward.
Johnson saw an opportunity for himself to compete in ONE Championship, the largest mixed martial arts promotion in Asia. The biggest hindrance was his UFC contract, but it turned out one of ONE’S biggest stars had his eyes on making the
switch in the opposite direction and the wheels were set in motion.
Malki Kawa, Johnson’s manager, began working behind the scenes on what would be a historic deal for Johnson to head to ONE and Ben Askren to finally compete in the UFC.
It came to fruition last week, though it wasn’t a trade in the traditional sense. Both fighters wanted to sign in the other organization, so a deal was worked out for both to be released from their current contracts in order to sign with their new promotion.
Askren is a former two-time NCAA wrestling champion who is 18-0 as a pro. For Johnson, it’s a chance to expand his horizons and his global marketability after making a far bigger impact in the UFC record book than at the box office.
UFC heads back to MSG
Two-division champion Daniel Cormier will put his heavyweight belt on the line against Derrick Lewis in the main event of UFC 230 at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday.
The pay-per-view event also will feature a middleweight contender bout between Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and former champ Chris Weidman.
Cormier’s light heavyweight belt is expected to be stripped next month when Jon Jones faces Alexander Gustafsson in the main event of UFC 232 at T-mobile Arena.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@ reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @Adamhilllvrj on Twitter.