Griffin, Bonnar reminisce about classic battle
Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar both joined the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani to reminisce on today, the 10th anniversary of their classic fight at the TUF 1 Finale.
Dana White has said more than once that the epic battle between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar is what saved the UFC and helped the brand explode into a house hold name. Griffin and Bonnar both joined the MMA Hour today to reminisce on today, the 10th anniversary of their classic fight.
Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar were not friends before their historic fight at the Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale. They actually barely even spoke to each other on the first season of the UFC’s reality show.
“Why get close to the guy?” Griffin told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “He’s on the other team. You know some time you’re gonna end up fighting him.”
Of course, that did end up happening. April 9 marks the 10-year anniversary of the classic battle between the two men that changed the course of MMA history. Without Griffin and Bonnar tearing down the house at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, there might not have been an Ultimate Fighter season two. And without that, there might not be a UFC today.
Griffin and Bonnar waxed nostalgic on The MMA Hour, mostly about their relationship, which was actually forged at first inside the Octagon and then in the emergency room afterward.
He was like two [beds] over, so I was just walked over and was like, ‘Hey man what’s up? What you got?’ I was like, ‘Dude you messed my nose up,'” Griffin said.