The UFC doesn’t appear to take care of their own but the camaraderie still lives on. For those unaware, UFC was in peril and was practically saved from the brink of financial ruin by TUF reality show. On TUF season 1, in the finals Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin earned a permanent spot in the hearts of MMA fans across the globe. But the compensation just wasn’t there – Diego Sanchez at one point described the contract for TUF as $100,000 if you win something like 8 bouts in a row and went on to imply he was on a version of that contract years later.
This is why it wasn’t much of a surprise that Bonnar family had to resort to gofundme when their home burned down in late March.
UFC veteran Stephan Bonnar has fallen on hard times. Earlier in 2021 Bonnar had a well publicized melt down that resulted in a contentious exchange with Police officers at a nearby hospital.
Many suspected Bonnar had a substance abuse problem at the time. While this may or may not be true, it was later discovered Bonnar was suffering from a severe staph infection that was causing him tremendous amounts of pain.
One UFC veteran that stuck by Bonnar is former Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley. Woodley not only boosted the social signal for Bonnar’s gofundme but went on to send $4000 to the fellow UFC veteran.
https://t.co/QdB4oy2fnh @StephanBonnar NEEDS US!! Donate now!!! He kept the @ufc alive sacrificing his body vs @ForrestGriffin $4000 From the Woodley's match or exceed. We have to protect our own!!!!
— Tyron T-Wood Woodley (@TWooodley) April 1, 2022
A public information officer for the Henderson Fire Department released a statement to MMA Fighting:
“On March 28 at 2:40p.m., the Henderson Fire Department responded to a house fire near Galleria Drive and Cadence Vista Drive,” the statement read. “Upon arrival, flames and smoke were visible from the exterior of the home. Due to the high winds and condition of the fire, HFD upgraded their response to a 2-alarm fire. The fire was knocked down at 3:48p.m. No transports or injuries were reported. 2 adults, one juvenile and four dogs were displaced.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Family is now seeking help from all interested through a gofundme campaign.