Stephan Bonnar vs. Mike Nickels at UFC Fight Night 10?

Stephan Bonnar vs. Mike Nickels at UFC Fight Night 10?

The Ultimate Fighter 1 light heavyweight runnerup Stephan Bonnar (9-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) may make his return from a drug suspension just in time for UFC Fight Night 10, where he’ll face The Ultimate Fighter 2’s Mike Nickels (5-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC).

That’s the report coming from last night’s Ring of Fire event in Colorado, where Nickels made the announcement after a quick knockout victory.
After the fight, Nickels stated that he would fight Bonnar in the UFC “in five weeeks.” UFC Fight Night 10 is six weeks from now, but considering Bonnar’s star status with the Spike TV crowd, the event seems to make perfect sense.

It would be Bonnar’s first fight in nine months.
Bonnar lost to Forrest Griffin at The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale in April 2005. The legendary fight — often lauded as one of the most vital in the UFC’s recent growth — was good enough to earn Bonnar a UFC contract.

However, after going 3-1 in his next four UFC fights, Bonnar again met Griffin at UFC 62 in August 2006. And he again lost a unanimous decision to Griffin — this time in much-less spectacular fashion. Additionally, in a post-fight drug test, he tested positive for Boldenone Metabolite, an anabolic steroid. The Nevada State Athletic Commission eventually suspended him for nine months and fined him $5,000.