When Stephan Bonnar lost to Forrest Griffin via unanimous decision in the fight that many claim strongly benefited the rise and current status of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Bonnar directly inserted himself into the history books of the most successful mixed martial arts organization on the planet. The fight earned him a contract with the promotion and vaulted him onto a level no other “Ultimate Fighter” runner-up has ever attained.
But that is not the end of the list of benefits Bonnar has received as a result of his legendary brawl with Griffin on that April evening in the year of 2005. The fight has gained him what can be called a “lifetime exemption” with the UFC.
Being a part of such an historic occurrence in terms of the success of the sport and its most famous promotion has granted Bonnar the job security that few share in a sport which comes with mass uncertainty to the vast majority of its professionals, but not without questioning.
Criticism has always risen to the surface before and after every Bonnar fight since UFC president Dana White first addressed Bonnar’s status with the promotion, explaining that he would always have a place in the UFC.
However, the three-fight losing streak he is currently rolling along with draws the question as to whether or not he is truly safe in his standing as a UFC fighter.
For instance, fellow light heavyweight Chuck Liddell, one of the more notable fighters to ever grace the Octagon, has fallen on very hard times in recent years, losing fight after fight by vicious knockout. While Liddell surely would never be released by the promotion, as he is one of its most famous faces, White has pushed very hard for his retirement after “The Iceman’s” knockout loss at UFC 97 against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and his knockout loss to Rich Franklin at UFC 115.
Will White take the same road with Bonnar if he is to lose this Saturday at UFC 116 opposite Krzysztof Soszysnki in a rematch from their UFC 110 affair?
Well, to be actually rather blunt about it, he should. Bonnar’s guaranteed job security benefits neither him nor the promotion. Long past are the days where Bonnar was actually working his way into contender status. And long past is his epic showdown with Griffin at “The Ultimate Fighter Season 1 Finale”.
So, suffice it to say, Bonnar is simply too far gone.
However, even though the “Liddell treatment” should be in full force if Bonnar is to lose this weekend, chances are White does not push Bonnar into retirement, which brings up another question; one regarding the promotion.
Does keeping Bonnar around based on one fight take away credibility from the UFC?
Really, the answer to that question is not all that important. After all, who is going to discredit the UFC, which is undoubtedly the pinnacle of MMA organizations today, by keeping him on its roster? The UFC still has the absolute best fighter roster on the planet, regardless of whether or not Bonnar is on it.
However, the one major sticking point in this situation comes down to the fairness shown by the powers that be in the UFC to fighters. Playing favorites to a guy like Bonnar, while cutting someone after a loss or two hardly seems fair, but, truthfully, it is.
Unlike every other man, save Forrest Griffin, Bonnar was a part of the most historical moment in UFC history. The fight bolstered the sport and the promotion to a different level and was a necessary occurrence that he just happened to play a starring role in. And, for that, the maximum job security is certainly in order.
Maybe he is not a top ten light heavyweight. Maybe he is long past his prime in a sport that is so cold to the vast majority of its aging legends (see Mark Coleman). But to not give Bonnar the chance to fight in the promotion that he directly helped make the leap to the level it is now would be criminal.
Keeping Bonnar around can lead to lower credibility for the promotion and it can be considered unfair to other fighters, but, just as the result of any fight can be swayed in the blink of an eye, one moment has appropriately provided the job security for a fighter throughout the rest of his career.
It may not seem fair or wise for the UFC to keep the struggling Bonnar around, but the harm it causes pales in comparison to the deservedness Bonnar can claim as a result of the consequential showdown he and Griffin shared so many years ago.