Stephan Bonnar (9-4) is set to make his return to the Octagon after serving a nine-month suspension for steroid use against Mike Nickels (5-1) at UFC Fight Night 10 on June 12.
Nickels — a former contestant on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 3 – made the announcement after a seven-second knockout of Carpaccio Owens at a Ring of Fire event over the weekend.
Since defeating Wes Combs via rear naked choke at UFC Fight Night 3 in June 2006, Nickels has not returned to the Octagon. He was scheduled to face Keith Jardine at UFC 64, but pulled out at the very last moment because of an injury.
It was so late that the UFC couldn’t find a replacement for Nickels – something that didn’t go over to well with the UFC brass. It worked out for Jardine, however, who went on to upset Forrest Griffin at UFC 66 in December 2006.
Bonnar, of course, is half the reason the TUF series and the UFC has enjoyed success during the last few years – his epic battle with Griffin at the TUF 1 Finale was legendary.
However, Bonnar has been unable to live up to the potential he showed that April night in 2005.
The “American Psycho” went on to beat Sam Hoger (unanimous decision) and James Irvin (kimura), but has looked average in his last three fights — a questionable win over Jardine (unanimous decision), a loss to Rashad Evans (majority decision) and the loss to Griffin at UFC 62 (unanimous decision).
And then, he got popped after UFC 62 for having illegal steroids in his system.
If nothing else, Bonnar has had a tremendous amount of time to train and focus on his career during the suspension.
It’ll be interesting to see if Bonnar returns recharged and ready to make some noise in the 205-pound class.
The division can use a talent – and personality — like Bonnar.
Thanks to UFCmania reader “Don” for the assist (sorry it took me some time to pass it along).
43 Comments »
stay at home bonnar!!! he should beat nickels, but as soon as he faces some real competition he will get worked.
This one should get Bonnar back in the saddle. I like Bonnar he’s a descent guy. He hit a road bump and the UFC stuck with him. I agree with miarep when it comes to Bonnar facing top comp. He can’t hang
yeah, he doesn’t seem to be able to make the jump to the next level. not yet, at least.
i like Bonnar, he shows a lot of heart in his fights and isnt afraid to go toe to toe with dudes….i just think he needs to broaden his horizons when it comes to training, like it was said in the 2nd Forrest fight, Forrest had been cross training with different guys and gyms, Bonnar had stayed in Chicago with the same old crew, and i dont think its making him progress as quickly as he should
Bonnar needs to do naturaly what he was trying to do drugs… get stronger. He is SMALL in comparison to alot of 205 fighters, and not nearly as strong as guys like Rashad, Chuck, Tito..
I like Nickels, I think he was a good fighter that just didnt fight well against Matt Hammell during TUF. Nickels has good standup, prolly as good ifnot better then Bonnars, but if Bonnar gets him on the ground, he will submit Nickels.
I just hope Dana doesnt trying to pander Bonnar like he has in the passed. Dude screwed up, dont do him any more favors outside of giving him his job back. Make him earn EVERYTHING after this fight… Not that he didnt earn his fights against Forrest and Rashad, or Jardine… but Rashad and Jardine at the time weren’t preimo competition. Lets see Bonnar - Jardine2..
I’m happy that Bonnar is getting a Tomato Can for his return fight.
A couple more losses and he will be out of the UFC.
Id like to see him face Mike Bisping I think he would beat Mike pretty easy but he could never hang with the likes of monkey features Forrest Griffen
NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
[quote post=”1977″]I like Nickels, I think he was a good fighter that just didnt fight well against Matt Hammell during TUF. Nickels has good standup, prolly as good ifnot better then Bonnars[/quote]
Are you kidding? Hammell is just a straight-up wrestler with virtually no training in stand-up, and he still knocked Nickels all over the ring. Bonnar is a Golden Gloves champ.
I think fighters who are found to be taking steroids or any kind of athlete for that matter should be banned from their sport for life.
There is no place for drugs in sport especialy with all the kids that look up to these guys.
If Chuck,Crocop or bisping were to be caught taking steroids tomorow I would say exactly the same thing coz it disgusts me.
I can only hope that his return to the UFC is an absolute disaster for him and that his steroid use leaves him with testicles the size of peas,the testosterone level of a four year old girl and a pair of tits the size of Pamela Andersons and than he can live out the rest of his life a freak with no friends and die miserably alone in a pile of his own drunken vomit.
At least then he can be used as an example to kids as to why drugs are bad,and then maby he wont be so much of a waste of blood,skin and organs as he is now.
HEY KIDS DRUGS ARE
BBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!
DONT DO THEM OR YOU WILL LOOK LKE BONAR AND
DDIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!
Glad he’s back
i love bonnar, he’s the man, can’t wait to watch him beat somebody’s ass, this is more reason to go to fight night 10
Glad to have him back!
Bonner is a good fighter and a funny dude. He looked bad against Rashad Evans. Just didn’t have the athleticism to hang with Evans. But nevertheless, Im glad he’s back.
mcanena…”Id like to see him face Mike Bisping I think he would beat Mike pretty easy but he could never hang with the likes of monkey features Forrest Griffen”
I couldn’t disagree more…I think Bisping would eat Bonner for lunch. Bisping’s an animal, as shown in his fight with Elvis.
As for the rest of your comments (mcanena) ….give it a rest PLEASE
LUKE, theres not much he could have done in the rashad fight, that was a bad display of blanketing….im with you WADZ…
its terrible what he did but people make mistakes . If it wasnt for him and griffin i dont think ufc would be where its at now . 9 months would have done him well and he will want to prove himself again . fight will be a stand up clasic of all of about ten seconds
I dont know why you guys make predictions anymore. Gonzaga ko’d Cro Cop, Serra KO’d GSP. I dont think that to many of u thought that was gonna happen. Everyone just needs to lay back, chill out, and let the fights unfold. Anything can happen.
[quote comment=”46930″]I dont know why you guys make predictions anymore. Gonzaga ko’d Cro Cop, Serra KO’d GSP. I dont think that to many of u thought that was gonna happen. Everyone just needs to lay back, chill out, and let the fights unfold. Anything can happen.[/quote]
Then all we’d have to talk about on here is the weather, which would be pointless since there are people on from all over the world.
Bonnar is so underwhelming lately. He shouldve moved out of Chicago and just went to New Mexico or somewhere else to get the training he needs. He spreads himself too thin and it shows in his fights.
I’m wondering if Bonnar trains in Chicago, does that mean that he trains with Arlovski?
Either way, while I think Bonnar is a solid fighter, I have to agree that he has yet to make the jump into ‘contender’ form. Maybe he figured out what he needs during his little ‘timeout’.
[quote comment=”46915″]mcanena…”Id like to see him face Mike Bisping I think he would beat Mike pretty easy but he could never hang with the likes of monkey features Forrest Griffen”
I couldn’t disagree more…I think Bisping would eat Bonner for lunch. Bisping’s an animal, as shown in his fight with Elvis.
As for the rest of your comments (mcanena) ….give it a rest PLEASE[/quote]
cant you read kok boy I said
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
as for the rest of my comments (WADZ)
NO I WONT GIVE IT A REST FREEDOM OF SPEACH MO FO
[quote comment=”46930″]I dont know why you guys make predictions anymore. Gonzaga ko’d Cro Cop, Serra KO’d GSP. I dont think that to many of u thought that was gonna happen. Everyone just needs to lay back, chill out, and let the fights unfold. Anything can happen.[/quote]
And those were longshots…. I mean I personally thought Gonzaga was going to beat Cro Cop but come on Serra defeating GSP? But yea, its just making preditcions and thats part of the game in MMA just like in any other sport. A “dog” will have its day once and awhile and its great when it happens. A prediction is just one persons thoughts and ideas and it doesnt mean thier bashing anyone. Its good for the sport and I love reading other peoples ideas and opinions.
Anyways, cant wait to see Bonnar back in the octagon. Hes a great fighter and a great presense in the UFC. He made a mistake and he paid his due, so leave it at that. Its not like he won the belt or anything while using. But still I dont think hes at the level with some of the top guys in the division but with better training and some time I think he can get to that level. He did the time now he should find the “right” training…
Hopefully ol’ Stevie used his little 9-month break to train and fill some of the gaps in his game. He’s proven he can’t really hang with Griffin, Evans or Jardine (now…even though he really lost their fight in my opinion). Bisping would TKO him and Schafer would give him fits. Hell, throw Salmon at him and see how he handles that. I like the type of guy he seems to be, but he’s got quite a ways to go to get caught up with the rest of the LHW pack. (Of course, he will always hold a place on the Top 10 list of knock down, never say die, give it your all fights with Griffin-Bonnar 1.)
[quote post=”1977″]I’m wondering if Bonnar trains in Chicago, does that mean that he trains with Arlovski? [/quote]
According to Bonnar’s blog, yes.
You can say what you want about Mike Nickels, but, the fighter you saw on the TUF 3 show, was not the fighter he is now.
The Mike Nickels you saw on the show, was a product of the the training he received(or lack there of) from Ken Shamrock.
[quote comment=”46964″][quote comment=”46930″]I dont know why you guys make predictions anymore. Gonzaga ko’d Cro Cop, Serra KO’d GSP. I dont think that to many of u thought that was gonna happen. Everyone just needs to lay back, chill out, and let the fights unfold. Anything can happen.[/quote]
And those were longshots…. I mean I personally thought Gonzaga was going to beat Cro Cop but come on Serra defeating GSP? But yea, its just making preditcions and thats part of the game in MMA just like in any other sport. A “dog” will have its day once and awhile and its great when it happens. A prediction is just one persons thoughts and ideas and it doesnt mean thier bashing anyone. Its good for the sport and I love reading other peoples ideas and opinions.
Anyways, cant wait to see Bonnar back in the octagon. Hes a great fighter and a great presense in the UFC. He made a mistake and he paid his due, so leave it at that. Its not like he won the belt or anything while using. But still I dont think hes at the level with some of the top guys in the division but with better training and some time I think he can get to that level. He did the time now he should find the “right” training…[/quote]
i agree with all this, good shit crawford…
this guy is exciting win or lose like a chris leban, i’ll always watch his fights, and most of the time cheer for him to kick someone’s ass…
No offence but who cares really? He couldn’t even get the job done when he was on roids.
He got dealt a pretty crappy hand his last few fights for sure but it’s hard to deny the fact that he is exciting. I am not a big fan personally but atleast he stands in and chucks the knuckles around with wreckless regard. Yeah he’s lost a few but you have to admit even if you hate him atleast it’s exciting watching him get his crap pushed in by other fighters.
I’m not a huge fan of Bonner’s but I have enjoyed several of his fights. The guy always seems to play the underdog, and when he fights he always gives it 100%. Many bloggers have complained about how shitty Arlovski’s last win was, how boring it was (and rightly so, it sucked). Many have also criticized Sylvia for being a boring fighter (again, rightly so). The point is, Bonner has never given UFC fans a boring fight. You know he’ll throw down with anyone…
On the subject of steroids, I have one question. Are we so naive to believe that Bonner’s the only fighter abusing them??? Good god…I’d bet that at least half the fighters in the ufc are taking “stuff” (albeit supplements, growth hormones, steroids, etc) that they’re not supposed to.
Love Stephan!!! He screwed up, but who hasn’t in their life? I know I have on a few occasions. I’ve been given a second chance once or twice. I know i’m not a UFC fighter but I still believe everyone deserves a second chance.
Oh and to the guy who said I was hugging Franklin’s nuts because of my name….it just happens to be a coincidence beacuse this a nickname I’ve been called for a long time because of Ace Ventura when he calls himself “Tom Ace”
From what I remember, he wasn’t caught with performance enhancing steroids in his system, it was a drug used on horses as a tranquilizer. I beleive he used it for some pain he was in. In any case, glad he’s back, hope he wins. He’s a huge 205 er, taller than most heavyweights, he could make some noise.
Yo titus, i agree that nickels is a good fighter, but that fight he had with hamil had nothing to do with Shamrock’s training. Nickels was supposed to be this bad ass street fighter and he looked like a twelve year old scared to get hit. Shamrock’s trained some of the best guys in MMA, but all the guy’s on the show did was “bitch n moan”. “We’re not training hard enough, now we’re trainig to hard.” It wasn’t all Shamrock’s fault.
“theCloser” ya damn right
When is Nate Quarry coming back? Dude was a hammer until he got Franklin’d. I’d like to see him back in the ring busting heads.
I think Bonnar and Bisping would be a real close fight but they are being very careful grooming Bisping. He won’t get more than Elvis Sinosic or Elvis Stojko (the figure skater) the rest of the year. The UFC wants to groom top contenders in the U.K. and Europe. They have Cheik Kongo from France. They need a German guy and a Pole. How about that Mariusz strongman champ?
[quote comment=”46981″]this guy is exciting win or lose like a chris leban, i’ll always watch his fights, and most of the time cheer for him to kick someone’s ass…[/quote]
Im with you on this one Spida. He is very exciting to watch. I hope he trained hard during his nine month layoff. If he’s smart he will begin training with some stronger camps.
Yeah mama’s boy, i’m not sure Bisbing could even handle somebody like Bonner, Bisbing has never really been tested, that would be a good fight for Bisbing to step up.
Gotta agree with Stafo and Spider, hes an exiting fighter and hopefully he will fight likean animal on his return.
Thumbs up for Bonnar
I have to agree with what you saying that Bonnar likes to throw leather and give the fans a good show but I just get angry when I hear about athletes using ilicit drugs like steroids and I hope that he learned his lesson.
But I dont understand,why the fuck would you use horse tranqs for pain,why not morphine or a prescribed pain killer.
I think that he needs to train some where else like Forrest he moved to a different camp and has seen hugh improvments.
Hehe, I hope Mike wins, no one seems to really think he’s any good. Have you seen his last two fights? A nice submission on his last UFC appearance and a 7 second knock-out in his last Colorado fight. Just honestly wondering how that one TUF fight seems to be the only thing people see about him?