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Stephan Bonnar confirms retirement

Stephan Bonnar's career was ended by Anderson Silva © Getty Images

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Veteran light-heavyweight Stephan Bonnar announced his retirement from mixed martial arts on Tuesday night.

"Huge thanks to every UFC fan out there!" Bonnar said on Facebook. "All I ever wanted was to bring y'all some fun ... hope you were entertained."

Bonnar, along with former 205lb champion Forrest Griffin, is generally credited with putting on the bout believed to have attracted the greatest number of fight fans to mixed martial arts.

The two went toe-to-toe on April 9, 2005, during The Ultimate Fighter Season 1 Finale. Griffin won the bout by unanimous decision. Highlights of that fight often are shown to arena audiences before each UFC event.

They met again in August 2006. Griffin would take that fight by unanimous decision as well, and Bonnar - known to most mixed martial arts fans as "The American Psycho" - tested positive for a banned substance.

The retirement comes a little more than two weeks after he suffered a first-round TKO to middleweight champion Anderson Silva in a light-heavyweight bout at UFC 153 in Rio de Janeiro.

The 35-year-old Bonnar, who entered that bout riding a three-fight win streak, exits with a career record of 15-8.

His fight with Silva ended an 11-month absence from the Octagon. During the layoff, Bonnar hinted at retiring unless he was offered a high-profile opponent, or a third bout with Griffin.

Bonnar suggested that he and Griffin be named TUF coaches, but UFC officials never expressed interest in the idea.

This article first appeared on ESPN.com

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