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If there ever could be a reason to add a sixth fight to the broadcast it would be this particular fight and not because it is a barnburner of a match up with title implications. Look, Cro Cop fought a tomato can in Mostapha Al Turk on the UFC 99 card, and it was not only put on the card but they changed their pay-per-view format to six fights rather than five so as to put Cro Cop on the show. There was no reason whatsoever for this particular fight to be on the main card except that it was the legendary Mirko Cro Cop in what was considered a tuneup fight before he embarked on a quest for the championship. Cro Cop pulled one over on the UFC and used the program as an advertisement for his services, and since nothing was signed, Cro Cop looked close to signing with DREAM immediately following this exhibition bout, but of course that saga's still on-going.
Stephan Bonnar and Mark Coleman each mean a hell of a lot more to the UFC than Mirko Cro Cop ever could. Period. Cro Cop was a great fighter, and he is a legend, but at this stage of his career and based on his time in the UFC, he simply was not the fighter of old by any means. Mark Coleman may be old, but the Mark Coleman of old brought "ground and pound" to the masses and won the UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 12 when he defeated Dan Severn.
Stephan Bonnar is important due to his having been in the most important UFC bout ever when he lost to Forrest Griffin in the finals of the first season of 'The Ultimate Fighter'. Both of these men may not necessarily matter in the title picture today, and this match up is not the best on the card, but if ever there could be a spot on the main card for one more match, I would give it to these two men who were in the trenches and helped the UFC become what it is today.
Stephan Bonnar is a 32 yr. old fighter who was born and raised in Hammond, Indiana and currently trains with Xtreme Couture out of Las Vegas as well as Mark Dellagrotte's Team Sityodtong out of Massachusetts. Growing up he was fascinated with Bruce Lee and a fan of professional wrestling and boxing. He practiced Tae Kwon Do and earned his black belt at the age of sixteen and also wrestled at the high school level.
What has been a hallmark of Bonnar's progression in the world of mixed martial arts is that he went through several phases on his way to becoming a complete fighter and the reason is that he actually got sick of each discipline. In an interview with Rachel Frederick he was asked which discipline is his favorite and he answered, "to be honest with you, I get sick of them all. I always have gone through phases. For example in 2002 I was in a boxing phase and did the Golden Gloves. 2003 was a Jiu-Jitsu phase. 2004 another boxing phase and then 2005 was 'The Ultimate Fighter'. After the show I really got into muay thai and then wrestling. I always feel like I am doing more of one discipline until I'm close to a fight. Then it's more even." Bonnar hasn't just wanted to learn more about fighting as he also is a graduate of Purdue University and most recently earned a Graduate Degree in Muscle Activation Studies. Stephan Bonnar is known for his ferocity inside of the Octagon but is one of the more cerebral mixed martial artists currently competing today.
Bonnar came to be known to most of this world based on his time spent as a member of the first season of 'The Ultimate Fighter' on Spike TV. He was an under the radar fighter throughout the program and it was perceived as one of the bigger upsets when he was awarded the decision over Bobby Southworth. Not a single one of us had any clue as to what Bonnar and Griffin could bring to us in their bout at the finals for the "six figure contract."
Stephan Bonnar vs. Forrest Griffin from 'The Ultimate Fighter Finale' is the most important fight in UFC history, and this is not because Dana White says so. It isn't the most important because I say so. It is the most important one because there is no other fight that had such an impact on this sport, and specifically for the UFC, than Bonnar vs. Griffin. Sure, the very first fight of the very first UFC event was a landmark of sorts, but it was forever going to be an underground sport until it could be packaged and delivered to the masses a la any other sporting event.
'The Ultimate Fighter' delivered MMA to those who may have never been familiar with it or simply viewed it as barbaric no-holds barred fighting, or "human cockfighting" as Sen. John McCain so eloquently put it. At any rate, it took Spike TV to greenlight the show, the Fertittas and Dana White to put their heart, soul and cash into it and a little bit of Vince McMahon as many fans who watched RAW on Monday nights would then keep watching 'The Ultimate Fighter' at 11pm EST. However, all of these things combined would have been all for naught had it not been for Bonnar vs. Griffin. The first season was a success in that it didn't lose a ton of money and the ratings were respectable, but it was not a smash hit by any means.
By the time Bonnar and Griffin were finished beating the hell out of each other, over ten million viewers had tuned in to see the spectacle and those fans have remained with the UFC ever since. We are getting ready to enter the tenth season of 'The Ultimate Fighter,' and this is due to the rabid fanbase of the UFC and this show in particular and everything still leads back to Bonnar and Griffin slugging it out. Stephan Bonnar may never find himself in the championship picture whatsoever but he means more to this sport and this promotion itself than some of the men who have worn the various championship belts. The big dance is UFC 100 but Stephan Bonnar is one of those responsible for making it happen.
Bonnar's career record stands at 11 wins against 5 losses with 2 wins by KO and 7 by way of submission. Notable wins have come against James Irvin, Keith Jardine, and Eric Schafer. His losses have come against Lyoto Machida, Forrest Griffin (twice), Rashad Evans and most recently Jon Jones who took the unanimous decision over Bonnar at UFC 94.
Stephan Bonnar has had some battles beyond that of his initial bout with Griffin as he was suspended for a positive steroid test following his rematch with Griffin and recently he was out for an extended period of time due to a serious knee injury. He looked good against Jon Jones at UFC 94 even though he lost the bout and by this I mean that his knee looked healthy and he appeared to be closer to the fighter he once was. Bonnar's next test comes on the undercard of UFC 100 against Mark Coleman and while this fight isn't on the main card it is truly fitting he gets the chance to be here on the biggest show of all.
Mark Coleman is the father of "ground and pound." Cavemen invented fire, and Mark Coleman showed up with his impeccable wrestling pedigree and taught the MMA world a lesson in how to control and smash your opponent via what we now know as the aforementioned "ground and pound." Coleman is of course a senior fighter on the MMA scene, but there is no truth to the rumor that the wheel is a newer invention than his "ground and pound." Although it was as important a discovery in the world of MMA as it has changed how fighters win fights no different than the wheel allowed man to travel by ways other than foot or atop a steed.
Mark Coleman is a 44 yr. old fighter who hails from Columbus, Ohio and is the founder of the Team Hammer House fight team. As an amateur, Coleman wrestled for Miami University of Ohio and was a two time Mid-American Conference Champion. He would transfer to Ohio State University and won a national championship in his senior year and following graduation would earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team which competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. Coleman would place seventh overall.
There weren't many if any options for a decorated amateur wrestler in the early 1990s. You could either become a professional wrestler and you had better hope you have a marketable look or you could be a coach somewhere. Wrestling was the sporting equivalent of someone who majors in history as there were usually more jobs to be had in teaching it to other future teachers rather than anyplace you could actually apply what you had learned. You basically wrestled to become a coach and then coach a kid who would go on to the same thing. That is, until mixed martial arts took hold on the world.
Mark Coleman made his MMA debut at UFC 10 in July of 1996 and defeated Moti Horenstein, Gary Goodridge and Don Frye en route to winning the tournament. Coleman would return at UFC 11 and once again win the tournament before he met Dan Severn at UFC 12 for the newly minted UFC Heavyweight Championship. With a vicious neck crank in the very first round, his dreams were realized and he had beaten Severn and earned his place in UFC history.
Now, at this point in time, the UFC Championship Belt gained you as much respect in this world as an outfit from Chess King would have scored you in the dance clubs in the early nineties. Coleman carried it with pride however and stepped in to face Maurice Smith at UFC 14 but was unsuccessful in defending his title and lost by way of unanimous decision after twenty-one arduous minutes. Coleman gassed in this fight and was unable to sustain enough effort to even come close to beating Smith and this lack of cardio would become a trademark of his throughout the rest of his career and stick with him to this very day. Mark would take the following year off from competition and would return to face Pete Williams at UFC 17. This year off did not help him at all as he again gassed worse than Ralphie May on a treadmill and he suffered a disheartening KO loss in the first round. It appeared as if Coleman's star had burned out fast and bright. He would make one last appearance for the UFC at UFC 18 and lose a split decision to Pedro Rizzo before heading to Japan.
Mark Coleman made his PRIDE appearance in April of 1999 and lost in his debut as he was submitted by Nobuhiko Takada at the 1:44 mark of the second round. He would finally return to the winner's circle when he defeated Ricardo Morais at PRIDE 8 and would embark on a six fight winning streak which concluded when he was submitted by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at PRIDE 16.
Speculation persisted as to his sudden return to prime form, and many attributed this to the fact that rounds were much shorter than when he debuted, along with improved training techniques; but still there were those who pointed the finger towards performance enhancing drugs based strictly on what they felt was an enhanced physique along with the reputation of Team Hammer House and its army of muscled fighters.
Mark Coleman's career record stands at 15 wins against 9 losses with 4 of these wins by KO and 8 by way of submission. Notable wins on Coleman's resume include the aforementioned wins over Goodridge, Frye and Severn along with victories over Akira Shoji, Igor Vovchanchyn and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at PRIDE 31. Notable names who have bested Coleman are the aforementioned Pedro Rizzo and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, along with Fedor Emelianenko (twice), Mirko Cro Cop and most recently Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 93. Rua finally got his victory back over Coleman but neither looked especially good in this bout.
Before we get to UFC 93, I must take a moment to delve into Coleman's victory over "Shogun" Rua at PRIDE 31 which was tainted with controversy and besmirched by a post-fight tussle between the opposing fighter's camps. Coleman took Rua down in the early moments of the first round and Rua landed awkwardly on his arm which caused him to dislocate the elbow and cause the referee to stop the bout at just :49 into the fight. Coleman was awarded the TKO victory and certainly caused the damage in some respect but most including Rua and his corner viewed this as a fluke victory.
Coleman threw the referee out of the way before the fight was stopped as he was still attempting to batter Rua and not quite prepared to stop what he had started. Upon the fight being stopped, Coleman exchanged words with Murilo Rua, and before anyone could think twice, the entire Chute Boxe team had entered the ring with designs on getting a piece of Coleman. In particular it was Wanderlei Silva who bolted towards Coleman which caused Team Hammer House alum Phil Baroni to enter the ring and we had a full on brawl on our hands. Cooler heads prevailed and no one was hurt in the fracas but Chute Boxe failed to accept an apology from Coleman and there was indeed a world of bad blood between the two camps to say the least.
Mark Coleman would next face Fedor Emelianenko at PRIDE 32 and suffered a submission loss in the 2nd round. This would be his final appearance in PRIDE as the promotion folded and was purchased by the UFC, and until 2009 this would be Coleman's last fight entirely. Nearly three years after this loss to Emelianenko, it was time for Coleman to return to the UFC Octagon and his first opponent would be none other than Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.
It had been ten years since Mark Coleman had entered the UFC Octagon, and at 44 years of age he was very much a wrestling version of Methuselah coming into this bout. His body was curiously cut and heavily muscled for his age which once again led to more allegations of doping by those outside of the Team Hammer House inner circle. At any rate, Coleman would get the chance to show us what he had left, and it was very little as he gassed ridiculously and would have been nearly out on his feet in the first or second round were it not for the piss poor shape of his opponent in Rua.
Both men took home bonuses for 'Fight of the Night,' and admittedly it had drama, but to say it was a great fight is a slap to every other great fight in our sport's history. Rua took the win at 4:36 of the final round and at that point it was a given that one of them would go or both would hyperventilate and be on oxygen as Bruce Buffer announced the winner.
Most fans felt Coleman should retire while others still insisted that he showed us something in his bout with Rua. I firmly feel he should retire but have to say that for a round or two, he can be a deadly fighter still and will have the ability to control anyone when it comes to pure wrestling until long past he is an elderly man who can no longer control his bodily functions.
Regardless of whether or not I feel he is overstaying his welcome, the fact is that Mark Coleman is a legend in this sport and as the first ever UFC Heavyweight Champion belongs on this card in some way as we look to the possible future dominance of Brock Lesnar who is cut from the same cloth. When you take this significance of Coleman and add to it the fact that Stephan Bonnar was involved in the most important fight in UFC history, it makes for a more compelling argument that this fight make the live broadcast.
It is likely to not air but the fact it is indeed taking place on UFC 100 is something I can take solace in. I'd rather not see Coleman fight, but if he insists on doing so, it makes perfect sense for him to fight a guy like Bonnar in what should be an enjoyable fight for at least the early stages.
Bent's Prediction: Stephan Bonnar by way of TKO in the 3rd Round
Some things are just natural. The sky is blue, Ken Shamrock will continue fighting, death is imminent, taxes are a must and Mark Coleman will gas in this fight.
Stephan Bonnar will arrive for this fight in as good of shape as he did at UFC 94 against Jones and it is likely that his knee will be in even better shape. This does not bode well for Coleman who will lumber about like an aging bodybuilder at Venice Beach and be a sitting duck from the beginning of the fight. Coleman has the ability to take Bonnar down but it is the boxing skills and relative quickness of Bonnar aided by a rehabilitated knee which will keep Coleman at bay in terms of scoring the takedown.
Bonnar will likely move from side to side and frustrate Coleman as he racks up points and does much damage with a kickboxing clinic throughout the fight. Coleman will tire as he is prone to do and this is when Bonnar will step it up and finish him off to the crowd's delight in the third and final round.
Mark Coleman is a legend. I have the utmost respect for all he has accomplished in his sporting life and I have zero proof as far as any of the aforementioned rumors of steroid abuse. The one thing I can unequivocally state is that Coleman needed to retire yesterday and that I sincerely hope this is his last fight. The guy is going to be a fighter for life and always have the competitive fire. Being blessed with that competitive fire is what separates Coleman from the guy who collates the mail at your office. It is also what has and will continue to keep him around long after he should have left.
UFC 100 is the biggest card of all and Mark Coleman was a part of the big picture and helped us to get here. Let us hope that win or lose, he bids adieu and walks off into the sunset while he can still put one foot in front of the other without losing his balance.
Coleman vs. Bonnar is but an undercard bout, but both men played a large role in the advancement of the sport and namely the UFC promotion as a whole. It is fitting both men are on this card and would be amazing if this one could make air just because of what both men have meant to this sport. I see Bonnar winning this one, and at least enjoying one more moment inside of the UFC Octagon and receiving one more round of applause as a thank you for his thrilling performance against Griffin.
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