6:54 PM ET

Stephan Bonnar, who was in the finals of the first season of "The Ultimate Fighter", died at the age of 45.

According to the UFC, Bonnar died of heart problems.

The UFC Hall of Fame has two people in it. One of the most important fights in the history of the promotion was their fight on April 9, 2005. The fight in "The Ultimate Fighter" was crucial to landing the UFC on cable.

MMA has long been an example of how the sport can be different from other combat sports like boxing. A six-figure UFC contract was earned by the winner of the fight. The fight was so good that Dana White gave Bonnar a contract.

Stephan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters in the history of the UFC, according to White. He will always be remembered for his fight with Forrestgriffin. He gave his best to the fans and they loved him. He will not be around anymore.

Bonnar hadn't fought in MMA in over a year and a half, since a bout with Tito Ortiz under the Bellator banner, which was the most watched event in the company's history. Bonnar lost to Anderson Silva in the UFC. Bonnar had a three-fight winning streak before that fight.

After losing in the finals of "The Ultimate Fighter", Bonnar went on a three-fight winning streak, but fell to Evans, who went on to win the UFC light-weight title. In a reprise of their classic fight in 2006 the winner was unanimously decided by the judges. He would go on to win the title.

Bonnar faced seven future or former UFC champion in his career. Bonnar named his first child after his most significant rival.

Bonnar, who finished his career with a 15-9 record, also did color commentary over the years for the WEC promotion.

Bonnar made a number of appearances with Impact Wrestling in 2019.