Do or Die for Stephan Bonnar against Krzysztof Soszyński
Reeling after three straight losses, Stephan “The American Psycho” Bonnar has to go for the kill when he faces “The Polish Experiment” Krzysztof Soszyński in the undercard of UFC 116 Lesnar vs. Carwin. Bonnar has to go big or bust.
There is a sense of urgency in the Bonnar camp, and rightfully so. Bonnar last tasted victory during UFC 77 Hostile Territory when he knocked out Eric Shafer. That was in 2007.
Prior to that bout he also earned a submission victory against Mike Nickels via a rear naked choke in August of the same year. Fast forward to 2010 and we have a Stephan Bonnar that has lost to Jon Jones, Mark Coleman, and Krzysztof Soszyński.
His losses to Jones and Coleman were decisions. At least he was in the fight until the final bell.
But in his last fight, he wasn’t so lucky, as he was cut badly by the Polish fighter en route to a doctor’s stop during the Nogueira vs. Velasquez fight. The loss was controversial and it was the most heartbreaking of all.
The bout served as the UFC’s first attempt at building its name in Australia. The fight itself was a crowd-pleasing affair. Lots of hype surrounded the match.
However, an accidental head butt marred the match, and an ugly cut opened up on Bonnar’s head. Referee John Sharp was not sharp enough to see the head butt.
The doctor checked on the cut and immediately waved off the fight. Soszynski was awarded with a TKO victory before the third round had ended.
Bonnar appealed but was turned down by the Combat Sports Authority of New South Wales. “It’s hard to deal with athletic commissions, seven thousand miles away consisting of one guy in his basement. That’s really what it came down to. So it was really frustrating,” said Bonnar when asked about the ruling.
Post-match, Bonnar also revealed that he broke a little bone in his right foot three days before the fight. And he tried his very best to hide it from his opponent as it would equate to exposing a c***k in his armor. “I remember at weigh-ins walking so slow past Krzysztof, all I was trying to do (was not let him know),” he said. “And then in the fight all I could do with my right leg was throw the front kick. Even that, he kind of blocked one of those -- it hurt like a b***h. I was on crutches for a while after the fight. It’s nice to be healthy.”
Now, he is running at 100 percent and ready to dish out some punishment, something that he was not able to do in their first meeting.
It is redemption time for Bonnar. And there’s no better way to do it than a rematch with his latest tormentor. Keen to clear out the controversy surrounding their first fight, Soszyński was quick to admit that a rematch was in order.
Now, roughly five months after their initial encounter, the two combatants will square off once again. And they will get to tango underneath one of the biggest fights of the year. This is a big one for both Bonnar and Soszyński.
Dana White has always said that Stephan Bonnar’s place in the UFC is secure. After giving White and the legions of MMA fans thrilling fights against the likes of Soszyński, Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Keith Jardine, and Mark Coleman, Bonnar can rest assured that fans will treat him as a fighter worthy to be remembered.
But knowing Bonnar, perhaps at the twilight of his professional career, he would want to go out with a bang. And what a bang this battle will be. For Bonnar, this will be a fight for survival.
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