Stephan Bonnar Speaks On Possibility Of Coaching TUF, Fighting Griffin

[No More Sorrow]

While he currently doesn't have a bout on tap, Stephan Bonnar (14-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC) said he's hoping to land another superfight with Forrest Griffin (18-7 MMA, 9-5 UFC).

"Everyone out there please harass Dana White on Twitter to let me and Forrest coach the next season (of 'The Ultimate Fighter')," Bonnar told MMAjunkie.com Radio (MMAjunkie.com Radio | MMAjunkie.com). "If he does that, I can guarantee a barn-burning slugfest.


"I won't go for any takedowns. I won't block any punches. I'll just be moving forward. I'm serious I would just go and slug it out and try to top our first one. What the hell do I have to lose? I want to give the fans a good one."


Bonnar and Griffin's first battle royal in April 2005 at the conclusion of the first season of "TUF" has been voted the greatest fight in UFC history. White often refers to the slugfest as "the most important fight in UFC history" because it took place as part of the first UFC fight card to air live on national television and helped the promotion score its landmark deal with Spike TV.


While Bonnar lost the bout by a narrow decision – as well as the rematch a year later – he believes a trilogy fight with his buddy could once again be a ratings boon for new television partner FOX.


"If we got to be coaches, I would be so thankful," he said. "Just bringing the whole thing full circle to FOX, I would really be honored."


And Bonnar believes the fight would definitely be a barnburner. After back-to-back decision victories over Igor Pokrajac and Kyle Kingsbury, Bonnar says it might be time to get back to the brawling ways that made "The American Psycho" a fan favorite.


"I've had a couple nice technical wins now without much damage," Bonnar said. "But now I'm actually missing the damage."


After recording his third straight victory in Kingsbury at UFC 139 this past November, Bonnar was met by the unusual sound of boos from the crowd in San Jose, Calif. Fans used to his generally reckless style weren't pleased with the play-it-safe approach, even if Bonnar did control the fight from start to finish.


"It's kind of flattering to have such high expectations," he said. "People expect a barn-burning-type of back-and-forth bloody fight. This time I found some holes in his game and fought a real smart technical fight and showed superiors skills on the ground.


"I was proud of myself. Then I get up and everyone is booing. They expected me to bleed all over the place. Sorry I didn't give you the paint-the-canvas-in-my-blood kind of fight."


But Bonnar — who recently was reunited for a favorite-memories segment with Griffin on "UFC Ultimate Insider" on FUEL TV — once again promised that any technical game plan would be thrown out the window if a rematch against Griffin were to happen.


"When you get into a couple of wars in a row, you're like, 'Screw this,'" Bonnar said. "But if we got to be coaches, I would be so thankful. I'd get hit a ton. I've ate plenty of his punches over the years."


So it's easy to see what the UFC mainstay hopes to do next in his career. What Bonnar didn't ask for was a recent fight outside of the octagon, which came via a camel spider in Bahrain. Bonnar, Rich Franklin and Keith Jardine were visiting naval bases in Spain and Italy before finishing up their touring trip in the Middle Eastern kingdom of Bahrain.


While Franklin and Jardine easily passed through security in preparation for their flight home, the outspoken Bonnar was detained because of his loud T-shirt.


"I'm thinking what did I do?" he said. "But I look down and see that I'm wearing a 'Young Assassin' shirt of Melvin Guillard's with Hitler and (Osama) Bin Laden on it."


During his explanation process, Bonnar missed the once-a-day flight back to the U.S. Hours later he was woken up in a small room in the airport by the venomous bite of a camel spider the "size of my hand."
Days (and several antibiotics) later, Bonnar safely made it back home to Las Vegas.


"I didn't have a phone or anything," he said. "I thought I was just catching my plane. I didn't plan on that happening. But it makes you really appreciate everything in America."


Especially what Bonnar hopes is one more round against rival Griffin.


"That's what I want more than anything," he said. "I probably won't get what I want, but I'll ask for it anyway."

Think these two coaching the show would be a better draw for ratings than Cruz/Faber. It's not a bad idea, hopefully UFC will roll with it.

 

[The Cork]

Bonnar would fuck the guy up at this point.

Griffin looks pretty disinterested in MMA nowdays, can't remember the last time he actually looked good in a fight. Even when beating Franklin and Tito he looked fairly shit, and thats not even counting the possibility of him losing to Tito in the summer.

 

[Troy]

What would happen if Tito did beat Griffin? I think that there is a chance that Griffin would retire rather than continuing on. Not too sure I want to see these two guys coaching because normally we get to see either a champion and challenger or some contenders coaching whereas in this case it would be two guys very close to the end.

 

[No More Sorrow]

I just think the UFC needs to put coaches on The Ultimate Fighter people actually give a shit about. Should put Sonnen/Belfort on it or something.

Chael has been clamoring for a fight with him for awhile now, and Vitor is likely to be back in the mix for a title shot sooner or later and it'd all work out once Chael wins the MW title.

 

[The Cork]

I watched the Joe Rogan podcast with Sonnen on last week (its 3 fucking hours, but funny stuff) and Sonnen said hes turned the TUF gig down before b/c he doesn't want to spend 5 weeks away from home, even worse now its longer.

They missed the boat not making a Sonnen/Bisping season before they had the Fox fight though.

 

[dexterlablab1]

Personally Bonnar doesn't even deserve to be a coach. And Forrest Griffen is pretty much washed up. They need to make fighters people CARE about seeing coach. Besides, the Bonnar vs. Griffen hype was done LONG ago.