Joe Rogan pens a heartfelt eulogy for Stephan Bonnar, hailing him as a 'real legend'

Joe Rogan has paid tribute to UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar, who recently passed away. Bonnar passed away at the age of 45 due to presumed heart complications while at work.

Rogan, in a heartfelt eulogy, mentioned Bonnar's epic TUF Finale clash against Forrest Griffin in 2005, which is believed to have changed MMA forever. The UFC color commentator also hailed 'The American Psycho' as one of the pivotal figures responsible for the explosion of the sport. The 55-year-old wrote:

"We lost a real legend. RIP to one of the most important figures in the explosion of MMA. Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin engaged in a battle on Spike TV in 2005 that was so wild, and so entertaining that it changed the course of the UFC and the sport of Mixed Martial Arts forever. You will not be forgotten."

Bonnar clashed with Griffin in the finale of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. 'The American Psycho' went toe-to-toe against Griffin in an epic three-rounder that went on to earn a spot in the UFC's Hall of Fame. Bonnar also earned a UFC contract despite dropping the decision against Griffin.

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Joe Rogan claims 8 million people watched Stephan Bonnar vs. Forrest Griffin

Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin were expected to be the co-main filler for the on the way to the main event between Ken Shamrock and Rich Franklin at UFC 62. However, the two went on to deliver one of the greatest fights of all time to pull the promotion out of near bankruptcy.

Joe Rogan was present cageside when the epic battle went down. According to the UFC color commentator, the bout drew nearly 8 million viewers, changing the sport forever. Describing the electrifying atmosphere during the bout, Rogan said:

"People were calling up their friends and were, 'Dude you gotta watch this, there’s this crazy fight going on, these two white guys are beating the f**k out of each other.' And the estimation was that there was as many as 8 million people watching this fight. It was unfathomable. That was the birth of modern MMA -- that was the fight that put it on the map.”

Watch Rogan's comments below: